Magic’s Paolo Banchero breaking through the rookie wall
A little over midway through the season, it looked like Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero had hit the rookie wall.
Now he appears to be breaking through it.
Banchero’s 31 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists in Friday’s win over the Charlotte Hornets didn’t just stand out because of the gaudy numbers. The combination of volume and efficiency was significant.
His 13-of-26 shooting marked the third time in four games he shot at least 50% from the field. He’s averaging 19.8 points (45.1% shooting), 6.6 rebounds and 4 assists in the Magic’s five games since the All-Star break.
Banchero, who was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in February, didn’t shoot better than 45% from the field in any of the Magic’s eight games in February before the break. He averaged 16.6 points (37.4% shooting), 7.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in the month.
“For me, I just had to stay consistent,” Banchero said on NBA TV after Friday’s win. “It was tough. I’ve always prided myself on being Mr. Consistent. Being efficient. Going through these stretches — shooting 35% from the field and whatnot — was hard. It makes you never take for granted the good games.
“Like the hot start I had — it seems easy when you’re in that hot start, you’re feeling good. You hit a wall and all of a sudden, it feels like the world’s caving in. You just got to stick through it and stay consistent with your work. Eventually, you’re going to break through.”
Banchero’s hot start, which led to him also winning Rookie of the Month for December and January, resulted in defenses playing him differently as the season went on.
Opponents started to throw more double teams, crowd his driving lanes and dare him to shoot.
He’s adjusting to the changes.
“I’ve seen a lot of different coverages,” Banchero said. “Teams trying to dare me to shoot. Teams loading up and building walls. Team sending doubles. Learning how to deal with all those coverages in Year 1 is good. There are a lot of games you struggle and you’re frustrated, but it pays off when you keep going and keep trying to learn the game.”
Friday was also significant because Banchero knocked down 2 of his 6 3-pointers. He made only 1 of his 35 3s (2.9%) in the previous 12 games after shooting 35.8% on 3s from Dec. 9-Jan. 30 (44-of-123 on 3s in 25 games).
His teammates encouraged him to keep taking those 3s throughout the cold slump.
“Keep shooting,” guard Cole Anthony said. “You miss every shot you don’t take. Paolo’s a capable shooter. He went through a little slump. All it takes is seeing one go in to get you going.”
Big man Franz Wagner (sprained left ankle) and Gary Harris (sore left adductor — inner thigh muscle) are listed as questionable to play in Sunday’s home game vs. the Portland Trail Blazers at Amway Center, which tips off at 6 p.m.
Wagner awkwardly fell and rolled the ankle after JT Thor nudged him while Wagner was trying to receive a low pass from guard Jalen Suggs midway through the second quarter. He got up and limped back to the locker room before being ruled out later in the game. X-rays on the ankle were negative, meaning no damage was shown.
Harris had 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals in 27 minutes Friday.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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