With the NBA season set to tip off, all eyes are on the Orlando Magic as they prepare to reignite their rivalry with the Miami Heat. The biggest difference for Orlando this time around is the continued rise of Paolo Banchero. Entering his third season, Banchero stands as the franchise cornerstone, the player who could determine whether the Magic finish atop the Eastern Conference or settle in the middle of the pack. The pressure is mounting, but so is the belief that he’s ready to embrace his destiny as a true superstar.

Since entering the league, Banchero has made an immediate impact, earning multiple individual awards and accolades. Most importantly, he has positioned the Magic as legitimate postseason contenders, setting the foundation for sustained success in the seasons ahead.

ESPN recently released its list of the top 10 players most likely to define the NBA season, and Banchero earned a spot. They cited his scoring prowess and ability to serve as the Magic’s go-to option as key reasons he could shape Orlando’s season.

“In May, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman in a radio interview,” ESPN said.  ‘We're ready to kind of turn the page on our rebuild and enter the next stage of our team and look through a more win-now lens.’ Weltman then took action, sending several future draft picks to the Memphis Grizzlies in a blockbuster trade for Desmond Bane. It was lauded by multiple respondents in last week's offseason survey as one of the best moves of the summer.”

For Banchero, this season isn’t make-or-break financially. He recently signed a max contract extension, securing his future with the Magic and giving him the platform to compete at a high level consistently.

“But if that move is going to pay off in the way he and the Magic hope it will,” the article wrote. “it won't be because of Bane, Jalen Suggs or even Franz Wagner. Instead, it will be because Banchero, fresh off landing a five-year, $239 million maximum contract extension this offseason, is blossoming into full-blown superstar status. Could he lead Orlando to winning a playoff series for the first time since 2010 and possibly reach the NBA Finals for the third time in franchise history?”

“That path is possible. Banchero, the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, has a rare blend of size, strength and skill within his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame, and doesn't even turn 23 years old until Nov. 12. But, in his three seasons, Banchero has hit 3-pointers at a career 32 percent clip and barely crept over 50% true shooting last season for the first time in his career.”

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