More acclaim for young Orlando Magic star

At 22 years old, expectations of being the best player on a team with the third-highest Eastern Conference odds to win a championship may seem like too much. Not for Paolo Banchero, who has a potential chance to enter MVP conversations this season.

Banchero is coming off the best season of his career, as he averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 45.2 percent shooting and 32 percent from three-point range. Had he not gotten injured, he would have been a guaranteed lock for a second consecutive All-Star appearance. Bleacher Report breaks down why, in his fourth season, Banchero is already on the verge of potential MVP honors. 

“Banchero also enters 2025-26 with a shot to put up numbers for a serious winner, and that'll up his MVP profile,” the article wrote. “Orlando was a defensive monster a year ago, but the offense has been substandard for over a decade. With Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones joining up over the summer, and with Jalen Suggs hopefully healthy after an injury-hit campaign, Banchero should have the best offensive supporting cast of his career. If Franz Wagner could ever hit a three, Orlando might even push for a spot just outside the top 10 in scoring efficiency.”

Last season, the Magic were the worst three-point shooting team in the league while also dealing with several long injury recoveries for their top three players. Banchero, Jalen Suggs, and Wagner only had six games together. As those two factors ultimately derailed their season, Banchero’s postseason performance against the Boston Celtics proved he is capable of taking another leap. While 43.3 percent for two-point field goals certainly leaves room for improvement, 29.4 points and 44.4 percent from three-point range displayed his potential as a dominant three-level scorer. With more offense around him, he should only get even more space to operate.

However, Banchero’s versatility allows him to be dominant on both ends of the court. Through preseason so far, Banchero is averaging two blocks per game, highlighted by a three-block performance against the Miami Heat. If he can continue to show improvements in this area while continuing his upward trajectory on offense, Banchero can be a serious threat to win the award if the Magic can finish with a good record.