Orlando Magic ahead Paolo Banchero was reportedly underneath “severe consideration” to play for the nationwide crew within the Paris Olympics however was finally not noted of the roster, regardless of taking part in for them throughout final yr’s FIBA World Cup.
When he performed for Group USA for the primary time within the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Paolo Banchero averaged 9.3 factors, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per recreation whereas taking pictures 58 % from the sector.
As a substitute, he’s anticipated to have an enormous position for the nationwide crew by the point the Los Angeles Video games roll round in 2028, as Joe Vardon from The Athletic famous that Group USA managing director Grant Hill envisions the Orlando Magic star to be an integral cog for the long run.
“Paolo Banchero, one other member of USA’s final World Cup crew, was underneath severe consideration for the Paris Olympics and is a participant Hill desires to function in Olympiads to come back,” Vardon wrote in his column on Monday.
It’s simple to see why Grant Hill has excessive hopes for the Orlando Magic teen. Paolo Banchero can be 25 in July of 2028, and by that point, he may have added extra accolades to his resume after successful the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Yr award and incomes his first NBA All-Star quotation final season.
Orlando Magic have a strong core to work with
The Orlando Magic made it again to the playoffs final season and pushed the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven video games, a marked enchancment from their Thirteenth-place end in 2022-23.
In addition to Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic have Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Moritz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac , Goga Bitadze, and Wendell Carter Jr., and so they additionally added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cory Joseph by way of free company.
Banchero is coming off a sturdy 2023-24 marketing campaign, averaging 22.6 factors, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 45.5 % taking pictures in 80 common season video games.
