Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero just gained himself a new fan in Paul George, as the Philadelphia 76ers star gave the youngster his flowers during the latest episode of the Podcast P show.
George was asked to pick a young player under 25 not named Victor Wembanyama, Luka Doncic, or Anthony Edwards to build his hypothetical franchise around, and he named Banchero because of his star potential.
“There’s a lot of talent still out there. Ja (Morant) is still under 25. Paolo Banchero is still under 25, (so is) LaMelo. If you want to go big and down that route, Chet Holmgren is under 25. There’s a lot of talent that’s under 25. But I think who’s shown that they’re ready for that next jump and I think was a star? For sure, Paolo (Banchero),” George said.
“He was a grown man. He’s great in transition, he’s great in isolations, and he’s great at sizing dudes up and using his strength to blow by,” George added. “He’s gotten better at being a shooter, but I think naturally he’s a driver, he likes the contact, and he plays physical. You gotta put people around him that are going to space.”
Can Paolo Banchero take another step with the Orlando Magic?
Paolo Banchero has quickly established himself as one of the top young stars in the NBA, and he is just 21 years old. He won Rookie of the Year in 2023 and made his first NBA All-Star Team last season.
The former Duke forward averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 45.5 percent shooting from the field in 80 regular season games in 2023-24.
He also took the Orlando Magic to the playoffs last season to break their four-year drought. Despite falling short against the Cleveland Cavaliers in seven games, this won’t likely be their last postseason appearance anytime soon.
