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.
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.
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
Rotowire
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
Rotowire
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.
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.
Magic's Paolo Banchero: Teases triple-double Tuesday
Rotowire
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.
