Orlando Magic Forward Paolo Banchero Snubbed at Key Topic

After three straight years of being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, the Orlando Magic have a lot to prove. They are set to face some obstacles along the way, including a must-win year for their star forward Paolo Banchero. 

But other headlines don’t have Banchero as the best player at his young age of 23.

There is a legitimate debate over who deserves to be considered the best NBA player at age 23, and Paolo Banchero is firmly part of that conversation.

Amen Thompson ultimately received the nod from Bleacher Report, but Banchero has a strong case of his own. The Magic star has a clear advantage as a scorer, producing at a higher volume while also commanding more respect from defenses as an outside shooting threat.

Aside from just the scoring, Banchero has proven to be an alpha for his squad, while Thompson hasn’t eclipsed the level of being the team leader just yet.

However, Thompson has the edge in several other areas. He has already established himself as one of the NBA’s most dynamic perimeter defenders while also providing strong rebounding for his position. His offensive efficiency has also been better, and despite having fewer opportunities as a primary isolation or pick-and-roll option, Thompson has still been able to create for teammates at a similar rate to Banchero.

For Banchero, the biggest question remains whether he can improve his efficiency and continue developing his outside shot. If he can take another step in those areas while maintaining his scoring production, the Magic star has the talent to separate himself from the rest of this group.

At just 23 years old, Banchero still has plenty of room to grow, making the debate over the best player at his age far from settled and a special year this upcoming season can easily change the narrative.

In a recent episode of the Full Court Magic Podcast, Strouble discussed the critical nature of Banchero elevating his game.

"But when Paolo's on, he's been on. I mean, let's not forget what he was able to accomplish in the postseason when his team really needed it. We're talking about a guy that went head-to-head with Cade Cunningham in that Game 5 loss to the Detroit Pistons—45 points, six of 11 from the three-point line, 17 of 31 from the field, played like a superstar. And he's done that before on this stage. What about the 38 points, nine rebounds, and six assists in Game 7, right? And just how he took over that game from the jump, but it just wasn't enough, right? And so, can Paolo take the next step? Can he do what needs to be done to show that, 'Hey, I can be the face of this franchise and I can help lead this team to higher places than it's been'? Because this is a Magic team that has not won a playoff series in 16 years, and last year was the most heartbreaking way it could have gone out."