By giving Paolo Banchero a rookie maximum contract extension, the Orlando Magic have made it clear that he is the face of the franchise moving forward.

This season, Banchero will carry a $41.2 million cap hit, and the money he is being paid is a reflection of the type of player he is. He is an All-Star and a Rookie of the Year winner, and he has had plenty of moments indicative of his superstar potential.

During Banchero’s first year in the league, his archetype led to him being compared to LeBron James. However, last season featured multiple games in which Banchero was less than stellar. 

The question now is whether Banchero can recapture such a comparison. While he did have bad games last season, he also took over others, especially in the playoffs. During the offseason, Banchero has emphasized how hard he is working, especially to become a more durable player. 

If Banchero can become stronger while elevating his skill level, perhaps those comparisons to James will return. In the latest episode of the Full Court Magic Podcast, I talked about this:

"The same can be asked about Paolo Banchero, who, in a recent appearance on the Stephen A. Smith Show, talked about his offseason prep and how this is the hardest he has worked and how he has made it a point to become a more durable player for his team. And I think that's important for Paolo, especially given his archetype; given his body type. This is a guy who was at his best being compared to prime LeBron James.

Now, we will be lucky if we see another player in the history of any sport have the durability that LeBron James possesses, at least on a superstar level. You know, you got guys like Mikal Bridges out there who are certainly Ironmen, you know, but a superstar-caliber player that has to put his team on his back and be that durable- you know, we're hard-pressed to see someone besides LeBron do that. But Paolo can get in that stratosphere with the right kind of preparation. And it seems like he's taking it really seriously.

And that is important because this team needs him. They need the best version of Paolo because when he is at his best, he is a superstar, right? We saw it in the playoffs, multiple years running now, this past series, despite an awful game six. And that wasn't just on him.

That was the whole team- just an all-time meltdown, a complete collapse from a basketball team. But, you know, you look at Paolo's game five and game seven on the road in Detroit and what he was able to do going head-to-head with Cade Cunningham when Franz Wagner was not out there to defend Cade Cunningham, which he had done at an all-time high level and really made things difficult on him. Like, Paolo was able to answer the call and go pound for pound, star for star. 

And so, if the Magic are going to get that version of him consistently, they're going to be in a good spot because we know that there were times last season where Paolo looked indecisive, and it really affected his game. His handle looked slow, you know, poor shooting at times. And the good news is that he acknowledged all of that, and that is so important to have from a young player who is the face of your franchise because it is a showing of leadership through accountability. And for him to be the ultimate leader, he has to take accountability first, and he has done so in a very, very good and respectable way."