Why This is a Make or Break Season for Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero

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 make-or-break year for their star Paolo Banchero.

The Magic made a big change when they fired coach Jamahl Mosley and hired Sean Sweeney to be the 16th head coach of the organization. Sweeney is also a rookie head coach but has showcased extreme poise and leadership abilities, especially defensively.

Therefore, Orlando’s best players, especially Paolo Banchero, are under pressure to meet the expectations for the Magic to take the next step in playoff contention.

If Banchero can lead the Magic back to those heights, he’ll quiet down the critics questioning if he’s good enough to be the Magic’s No. 1 option on a successful team.

In the latest episode of the Full Court Magic Podcast, Strouble discussed the critical nature of the Banchero elevating his game even further:

"There were times last season—we've talked about Paolo's numbers: his point total average dropped pretty significantly, nearly four points a game, or at least a little over three. His overall field goal percentage went up a tick—career-high 45.9%, but he shot 45.5% in his second year. He was pretty available—much more available than when he had the oblique injury in the '24–25 campaign. He played 72 games last year; only time that he missed was in that November stretch when he suffered the groin strain, missed 10 games."

"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."

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