Paolo Banchero shares honest take on Magic's increased expectations

In recent years, the Orlando Magic have been slowly rebuilding their roster. Those efforts began to bear fruit last season, as the Magic impressed during their opening round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics. 

As such, Orlando's front office has begun to speed up its timeline. The addition of Desmond Bane earlier this summer was clear proof of the franchise looking to plug some of the gaps that limited it last season. And now, the Magic will enter the 2025-26 season with higher expectations on their shoulders.

When speaking to The Athletic's Josh Robbins, All-Star forward Paolo Banchero shared his excitement at meeting those new expectations. The Duke product made it clear that he's pleased Orlando is on course to become a consistent winning team in the Eastern Conference.

“Honestly, that’s like music to my ears,” Banchero said. “Let’s just say I’m very relieved to have some real expectations for our team and for myself. I think, just as a competitor, as a winner, as a player, you want to be expected to be great...I think the sky is our limit. We’ve had our experiences in the playoffs, losing in the first round for two years. We brought guys in who made deep runs in the playoffs and been on some good teams. So I think we can go as far as we allow ourselves to go." 

Last season, both Banchero and Franz Wagner missed significant stretches of the campaign. Despite their absences, the Magic still found ways to remain competitive. However, if Orlando truly plans on emerging as a genuine threat in the East, it will need Banchero and Wagner firing on all cylinders. 

Desmond Bane is a huge pickup for Orlando 

The Magic ended the 24-25 season ranked 23rd in three-point attempts per game (35.3) and last in three-point percentage (31.8 percent). It was clear that they needed to add more floor spacing to the rotation, especially if they wanted to get the best out of Banchero.

Enter Bane, a career 41 percent shooter from deep with solid playmaking and defensive skills. Not only does he help solve a primary issue for the Magic, but he can also ease some of the pressure on its two budding young stars. 

Landing Bane so soon after the loss to the Celtics was clearly a sign of intent from Magic. They saw their shortcomings and wanted to ensure the team was on a stronger footing next season. 

The East is a weakened conference this season due to the absences of Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, both out with Achilles tendon tears. As such, the Magic have a prime opportunity to establish themselves and make a deep playoff run. Bane will have a significant role to play in those endeavors. 

If the Magic can prove themselves to be a future contender in the East, Bane's addition will look like a masterstroke.