Orlando Magic shut down No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero after two Summer League games

The Orlando Magic have seen all they need to see from the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. 

The team shut down Paolo Banchero for the remainder of Orlando’s Summer League games, just two games into the summer schedule. 

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

Banchero, who played just one year at Duke before declaring for the draft, averaged 20 points, six assists, and five rebounds in his two Summer League appearances. In his matchup against the No. 3 pick Jabari Smith Jr., Banchero outshined the Houston Rocket, scoring 17 points with four rebounds and six assists. 

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“I was happy with the way I played, but there was a lot I could improve on,” Banchero said, according to ESPN. “The second game I had a lot of turnovers. Just getting in even better shape. I felt like, those were my first two games, so just build my wind back up. But overall, I think I did pretty good.

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“This time in Vegas has helped me a lot as a basketball player.”

Mosley, who will be entering his second season as coach of the Magic, praised the rookie for quickly understanding the pro game.

“His understanding of what he needs to do in certain situations, the concepts that we’re preaching offensively and defensively, he’s grasping on to those,” Mosley said. “Watching film together, he’s observing those things. He explains to me the things that he sees on the floor. It’s only two games, but you’re watching those film sessions and you realize how he’s registering all of it. So that’s how you can make the judgment that it’s time let these other guys get those moments.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.