Serving Paolo Banchero near the circle, a priority for the Magic
« We approached him early because we knew his size would be an asset. » Based on this observation, Jamahl Mosley and Magic did not hesitate to feed Paolo Banchero in balloons near the circle against the Wizards. The latter were deprived of Alex Sarr or of course Anthony Davis to interfere with his work.
The result: Faced with a lackluster defensive response, the Magic’s interior thrived. “ I wanted to be aggressive. They left me one on one, so I took advantage of that », summarizes the leader of Orlando. The latter equaled the season record in 32 minutes of play with 37 points (15/21 shooting), with 6 assists and 5 rebounds.
« Paolo played with tremendous power. He marked his positions well and attacked the entrance circle. He was the one who started our match. A very, very big performance from him », insists Desmond Bain, his evening lieutenant with 25 points.
« The fact that he can quickly project and mark his positions was a key goal for us. We challenged him before the match to get five or six preferred positions: I think he had five tonight. When he’s down, it puts enormous pressure on defenses that are forced to tighten up. From there he can make the right choice or end up in a circle », analyzes their coach.
Much less greedy on 3 points
Busy taking positions near the circle, his interior only received two 3-point shots (1/2). This season, Paolo Banchero has significantly reduced his shooting volume from long range, from 5.9 attempts last year to 3.8 this season. Which can also be explained by the half-hearted appeal (31%).
However, the Magic know the importance of serving it close to the circle. This season, he is averaging 10.5 points, the 25th most productive player in the league. Since the All-Star Game, he’s even in the top 10 in the league with nearly 14 points in this context.
« This is important. We have some speaks after the game against Detroit : In the first half, we attacked the racket a lot, but in the second half we stopped working. This is the point we insisted on. Like I told the guys, that’s an area where we need to improve (…) If we feel like it’s been a few possessions since we’ve stepped into the game, I tell them, ‘Hey, let’s make sure we touch the racket before we hit.’ You have to make sure you get a good shot card ,” he asks Desmond Bain to finish.
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| Paolo Banchero | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | The team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | That | Pd | Ft | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | ORL | 72 | 11:45 p.m | 42.7 | 29.8 | 73.8 | 1.2 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 3.7 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 20.0 |
| 2023-24 | ORL | 80 | 34:59 | 45.5 | 33.9 | 72.5 | 1.0 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 5.4 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 0.6 | 22.6 |
| 2024-25 | ORL | 46 | 34:23 | 45.2 | 32.0 | 72.7 | 1.1 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 4.8 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 25.9 |
| 2025-26 | ORL | 49 | 34:55 | 45.2 | 31.0 | 77.2 | 1.1 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 0.7 | 21.8 |
How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.
2026-03-04 08:38:00
