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Charlotte Hornets return home to take on Banchero, Bane, and the reeling Orlando Magic

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Matt Alquiza | Last updated Oct 30, 2025 11:09 AM ET

Still licking their wounds from a South Beach beat down, the Charlotte Hornets return home to take on an equally bruised and battered Orlando Magic squad. Charlotte (2-2), enters tonight's divisional tilt looking to regain their form that set the league ablaze in its' first handful of games.

It won't be easy against a physical Orlando Magic squad, though.

'It will be a good matchup. It will be fun to come back home in front of our fans,' said Hornets' head coach Charles Lee in a post-practice media availability on Wednesday. 'They're (Orlando) a big, physical team, struggling a little bit defensively right now, but they do have a great presence to them, great size, so we have to be ready for that level of physicality.'

The Magic, frankly, are struggling on both ends of the floor (Orlando enters tonight's contest with the league's 27th ranked offense and 22nd ranked defense per Cleaning the Glass), but Lee knows that Orlando has some scorers who can get loose on any given night.

Asked Charles Lee to give a short Orlando Magic preview.

“[Orlando] is a big, physical team that’s struggling a little bit defensively right now. But they have a great presence to them, and great size. We have to be ready for that level of physicality...” pic.twitter.com/3yQt8mUciT
— Jeremy Grandison (@JeremyGrandiso1) October 29, 2025

'Offensively they have a couple of really good scorers that we have to be mindful of. How are we guarding them? How are we defending Banchero without fouling? I believe they lead the league right now in free throw attempts per game, or at least the free throw attempt rate. The discipline is going to be important and the team defense around those individual scorers is going to be super important.'

Key Matchup: Miles Bridges vs. Paolo Banchero

Paolo is the straw that stirs the drink for the Orlando Magic. He is surrounded by two All-Star level players in Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane, but everything Orlando does flows through their bruising power forward.

In nine career games against Charlotte, Banchero has eclipsed 20 points in all but one. His most recent outing against the Hornets was a gem in which Paolo amassed 32 points, seven rebounds, and six assists.

He's off to a rough start overall (Paolo is shooting just over 40% from the field and an ice cold 15.8% from deep), but Banchero is playing like a bull in a china shop, averaging 11.2 free throw attempts per game.

Bridges will have his hands full against Banchero, and it is key for him to defend without fouling. Charlotte needs Miles' size and rebounding in the lineup, and if he gets in foul trouble early, they will need to lean on Tidjane Salaun for a minutes load he isn't quite ready to handle.

Track Miles Bridges' personal foul situation in the first half as he attempts to slow down Paolo without putting him on the line.