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LAS VEGAS — Nestled in a low-riding chair wearing a sharp white polo and black shorts, it was easy for Magic star forward Paolo Banchero, stationed at Court 11 in the Las Vegas Convention Center, to blend in with the crowd while he supported his beloved Seattle Rotary AAU team.
Such is the nature of the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, or EYBL for short. The thousands of kids scrimmaging nonstop throughout the day — surrounded by the flurry of activity from parents, scouts, agents and onlookers in between the individual courts — almost make him a secondary figure, allowing him to escape attention.
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It’s a much harder task pulling that off at his day job. Banchero, a 6-foot-10 forward entering his fifth year in the NBA, is approaching a pivotal point in his young career. His style of play, a high-usage offensive engine unto himself — with a high motor, processing speed and unique skill set for someone his size — is hopeful of meshing seamlessly with a new head coach. Sean Sweeney, a former assistant coach under Mitch Johnson in San Antonio, joined the Orlando Magic following the Finals, looking to take the organization further forward than what his predecessor, Jamahl Mosley, could.
The underlying Banchero question has always been how to marry his versatility with his surroundings, all while producing efficient play. Advanced analytics paint a wide-ranging picture of Banchero’s overall impact, as metrics can be influenced by spacing (personnel choices), tactics and strategy. Banchero ranks 97th in LEBRON, 146th in DARKO, 141st in LAKER and 56th in Player Efficiency Rating. Last season was the first, according to Cleaning the Glass, that the Magic weren’t a net negative with Banchero on the floor (Orlando was -17 in his playoff minutes, but was also -19 with him on the bench versus Detroit.)
Orlando is blessed with an abundance of additional playmakers — Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane and Anthony Black are all capable of creation — but Banchero’s assist rate, combined with how often he possesses the ball in the frontcourt, warrant additional conversations between Banchero and Sweeney for how…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/paolo-banchero-qa-magic-star-rejuvenated-with-new-coaching-staff-004353596.html
Author : Kelly Iko
Publish date : 2026-07-12 00:43:00
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