Banchero won the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Award on Tuesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Banchero was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft and had a successful rookie season, missing only 10 games. He averaged the most points (20.0), third-most assists (3.7) and the fifth-most rebounds (6.9) among all rookies. However, Banchero can take his game up another level by improving upon his 42.7 field-goal percentage and 29.8 three-point percentage in his sophomore campaign.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Ruled out Sunday
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Banchero (back) will not play Sunday against Miami.
The Rookie of the Year favorite will miss a third straight game to conclude the season as the Magic jockey for lottery positioning and look to get increased run for some other young players. Banchero will finish the year with averages of 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.2 threes per contest in 72 games.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Considered questionable
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Banchero (back) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Heat, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports.
Banchero has missed the Magic's previous two games due to back soreness. With Orlando officially out of playoff contention, expect them to err on the side of caution with their prized rookie if his health is not up to par as tip-off approaches. Still, more clarity on his status will come closer to game time.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Officially out
Rotowire
Banchero (back) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Nets.
After some confusion with Orlando's injury report, Banchero will officially miss both halves of the Magic's current back-to-back set. The rookie's final chance to suit up this season will come Sunday in Miami, but the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year will likely sit out that contest as well.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Deemed questionable Friday
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Banchero (back) has been upgraded to questionable for Friday's game against the Nets.
Banchero was initially ruled out for Friday's matchup, but he'll now be in the mix to suit up for the second half of the back-to-back set. He's posted double-doubles in three of his last four appearances, averaging 22.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 32.5 minutes per game.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Out again Friday
Rotowire
Banchero (back) won't play Friday against the Nets.
Banchero will miss his second consecutive contest since the Magic have been eliminated from postseason contention. The rookie could possibly sit out the rest of the year to avoid the risk of further injury to his back. Expect Chuma Okeke and Bol Bol to see increased minutes Friday with Banchero unavailable.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Won't play Thursday
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Banchero has been ruled out for Thursday's game against the Cavaliers due to back tightness.
Now that the Magic have been eliminated from postseason contention, the team is listing each of its starters as out for the first half of a back-to-back set Thursday. Moritz Wagner, Chuma Okeke and Bol Bol are candidates to see increased run against Cleveland with Banchero sidelined.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Dominant against Washington
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Banchero contributed 30 points (8-17 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 13-14 FT), 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks across 34 minutes during Friday's 116-109 win over the Wizards.
This was the sixth game of his rookie season with at least 30 points. Banchero's consistency and efficiency have trailed off late in the season, but he's been much better over the past two games. His playmaking has improved in recent games too, as he has a total of 27 dimes over the past five contests. He'll get a solid matchup against the Pistons on April 2.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Leading scorer in balanced outing
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Banchero notched 21 points (7-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), six rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals across 34 minutes during Thursday's 111-106 win over the Knicks.
Banchero paced Orlando in scoring, shots made and blocks while posting a team-high-tying steals total in a balanced performance that led to a win over New York. Banchero has surpassed the 20-point mark 37 times this season, including in two of his last three outings.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Teases triple-double Tuesday
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Banchero recorded 18 points (6-9 FG, 6-6 FT), nine rebounds, eight assists and one steal across 37 minutes during Tuesday's 122-112 win over Washington.
The rookie has nearly collected his first career triple-double twice in the last six games, as he posted a 17/10/9 line against the Heat on March 11. Banchero remains the favorite to win Rookie of the Year and is ending the season on an upswing, scoring in double digits in 10 straight games and averaging 21.6 points, 6.8 boards, 4.1 assists and 1.3 threes over that stretch.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Goes for 21 points in loss
Rotowire
Banchero totaled 21 points (8-20 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 4-4 FT), six rebounds and three assists over 36 minutes during Sunday's 111-105 loss to the Lakers.
The rookie from Duke continues to be a go-to scoring option for the Magic, but efficiency remains an issue, as has been the case throughout most of his rookie season. He's failed to hit half of his shots from the field in three straight games and is converting at a 43.9 percent clip for the month, and while he was perfect from the free-throw line Sunday, Banchero has still made only two-thirds of his attempts from the charity stripe overall in March.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Comes close to double-double
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Banchero had 18 points (7-15 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 3-4 FT), eight rebounds, three assists and two steals over 33 minutes during Thursday's 116-113 loss to the Suns.
Banchero wasn't entirely efficient from the field but still posted a decent stat line, finishing just two rebounds away from recording a double-double. The former Duke star hasn't looked as dominant as he did in the first two months of the season, but he's still the favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award. Banchero is averaging 20.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game this season.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Scores team-high 27 points
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Banchero posted 27 points (11-21 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 3-5 FT), six rebounds and one block across 32 minutes during Tuesday's 132-114 loss to the Spurs.
Banchero was efficient from the field en route to a team-high 27 points, marking his fifth 20-plus-point game over his past six appearances. During that stretch, the Rookie of the Year frontrunner is averaging 24.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 0.7 blocks in 35.2 minutes with 46/42/68 shooting splits.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Shines as facilitator
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Banchero amassed 17 points (5-14 FG, 1-3 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 10 rebounds and nine assists across 43 minutes during Saturday's 126-114 overtime victory over Miami.
After a string of quality shooting performances from the field, Banchero took a step back in that regard Saturday, but he made up for it with elevated assists production and a perfect showing from the charity stripe. After a rough February, the rookie No. 1 overall pick has picked up the pace of late with averages of 24.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.8 three-pointers, 0.6 blocks and 0.4 steals in 35.8 minutes over his last five outings. He's shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 69.2 percent from the charity stripe during that stretch.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Posts team-high 26 points
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Banchero produced 26 points (8-17 FG, 3-4 3Pt, 7-11 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and one block over 34 minutes during Thursday's 131-124 loss to the Jazz.
Banchero got hot from deep and posted his fifth 20-plus-point game over his past six appearances. During that stretch, the Rookie of the Year candidate is averaging 23.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals-plus-blocks in 33.5 minutes.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Leads team in scoring
Rotowire
Banchero contributed 26 points (9-18 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 7-10 FT), five rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal over 33 minutes during Sunday's 122-119 loss to the Trail Blazers.
Banchero started off hot in Sunday's game, hitting his first seven shots, but he then cooled off quite a bit in the second half. He still finished with a team-high 26 points on 50 percent shooting, continuing his solid production from his previous game. The rookie's field-goal percentage was starting to take a huge hit for a while, but he has improved his efficiency more recently, knocking down at least 50 percent of his shots in four of the last five contests. The same can't be said for his struggles from beyond the arc, which are still ongoing.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Held in check Wednesday
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Banchero closed with nine points (4-13 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and two blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 139-117 loss to Milwaukee.
Banchero dropped 29 points during Monday's win over the Pelicans, but he was held to a single-digit scoring total for the fourth time this season during Wednesday's defeat. The 20-year-old was able to salvage his fantasy production by remaining effective in rebounds and assists while also racking up two blocks, and he should have plenty of opportunities to bounce back in the coming games.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Steps up with 29-point outing
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Banchero finished with 29 points (10-18 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 9-11 FT), eight rebounds, four assists and one steal across 34 minutes in Monday's 101-93 win over the Pelicans.
After a stretch of lackluster outings prior to and immediately after the All-Star break, Banchero finally came through with the type of performance that has made him the frontrunner for the NBA Rookie of the Year Award at this stage of the season. The 29 points were his most in a game since Jan. 30, and though he came up empty from downtown for the sixth contest in a row, Banchero turned in better-than-usual efficiency from the field and charity stripe. For the season, Banchero is converting at a 42.1 percent rate from the field and 75.4 percent rate from the line, and his poor showings in both areas on heavy volume (15.5 field-goal attempts per game, 7.6 free-throw attempts per game) has made him a far more valuable commodity in points leagues than category leagues.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Modest performance Saturday
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Banchero closed Saturday's 121-108 loss to the Pacers with 19 points (6-12 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 7-9 FT), six rebounds, one block and one steal over 33 minutes.
Banchero wasn't terrible in the loss, shooting at least 50 percent from the floor for just the second time in the past 14 games. While it has been a solid rookie season, his efficiency from both the field and the charity stripe remains an issue. Add to that the fact that he contributes very little on the defensive end and you are left with a viable 12-team asset with very little room to move in terms of overall value.
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Magic's Paolo Banchero: Rejects three shots in win
Rotowire
Banchero posted 22 points (8-18 FG, 0-4 3Pt, 6-7 FT), four rebounds, three assists and three blocks across 35 minutes in Monday's 100-91 win over the Bulls.
After blocking just three shots in his last 13 games combined, Banchero came out of nowhere to match that total Monday. Fantasy managers shouldn't expect any consistent output in that category moving forward, but Banchero's return to the 20-point mark was an encouraging development after he had fallen below that threshold in six of the previous seven games while shooting 32 percent from the field. Banchero is now averaging an even 20 points per game on the season and should be able to bludgeon his way there on a regular basis moving forward on sheer volume alone, though fantasy managers should expect the scoring production to be accompanied by poor efficiency from the field and free-throw line.
