Orlando Magic ‘sits’ Banchero for the Summer League

The No. 1 pick will rest the rest of the summer league after averaging 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in his two games in Las Vegas. The Magic made the decision so they can evaluate other players who are with them this summer and see who might merit a roster spot or an opportunity in the G League.

“I want to give these other guys a chance to play, to be able to show what they’re capable of doing,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s the whole point of summer league, you know, to give them a chance … a chance for these other guys to see what they’re capable of doing. And we’ve seen what Paolo was capable of doing.”

Banchero maintained that he would have liked to continue playing, but referred to what the team thought was best.

“They suggested what was best for me, and I really didn’t want to go backwards or anything,” he said. “I was happy with the way I played. They were happy with the way I played. They were comfortable doing that; I wasn’t going to give them any pushback.”

The Magic are also expected to give Admiral Schofield and R.J. Hampton rest the rest of the summer league, opening up even more minutes for the players to get opportunities in Las Vegas. Mosley expressed that Banchero got everything he needed from the summer experience.

“His understanding of what he needs to do in certain situations, the concepts that we’re preaching offensively and defensively, he’s sticking to that,” Mosley said. “Watching videos together, he’s looking at those things. He’s explaining to me the things he’s seeing on the court. It’s only two games, but you’re watching those sessions and you realize how he’s recording all that.”

Banchero reaffirmed that he learned a lot from the experience.

“I was happy with the way I played, but there were a lot of things I could improve on,” he stressed. “In the second game I had a lot of turnovers. I just got in better shape. I felt like those were my first two games, so I got my physical game back. But overall, I think I did pretty well.”

“This time in Las Vegas has helped me a lot as a basketball player,” he concluded.