Paolo Banchero's Last 30 Games Most Efficient of Career

Paolo Banchero's play is getting stronger as the season goes on

Despite Orlando's offense as a collective still needing to solve some riddles, individuals like Banchero and Desmond Bane are finding efficient ways to score.

In Paolo's first 22 games, the team posted an 11-11 record while Banchero began to show his career-high efficiency due to a more efficient shot profile, though he posted lesser box numbers overall, especially when returning from injury:

20 PPG – 8 RPG – 4.4 APG / 2.5 TOV
50% 2P% on 11 2PA – 23% 3P% on 4 3PA – 6% FT% on 8 FTA
54% TS% – 21% AST / 12% TOV – +0.4 BPM

Banchero's last 30 games, however, have involved some of the most efficient scoring of his career, whiled the team has posted a 16-14 record:

24 PTS – 9 REB – 5.4 AST / 3.3 TOV
51% 2P% on 13 2PA – 36% 3P% on 4 3PA – 9% FT% on 7 FTA
58% TS%, – 25% AST / 14 % TOV – +2.0 BPM

Banchero's 56% TS% on the season and 58% TS% in his last 30 games would be career-highs.

Since being snubbed from the All-Star game, Banchero's posted a 9-game average of 25 PTS – 10 REB – 6 AST; only three other players are averaging 25/5/5 + in that span – Nikola Jokic, Jaylen Brown, and Luka Doncic.

Banchero has improved in many areas as months go on, especially in effort plays and scoring efficiency.

The trends in the data viz above show Banchero's made shots are coming more frequently on assists from others, rather than taking unassisted shots himself.

Banchero has seen his scoring efficiency (TS%) rise for many reasons – taking more efficient shots in his shot profile at the rim, at the line, and beyond the arc than ever before; allowing others to set him up for assisted looks by running the floor hard and rolling off picks he sets for guards; moving better and making more effort plays like running the floor off forced turnovers, attacking the rack for points in the paint, and crashing the glass for more second chance opportunities.

Ironically, Paolo has seen his scoring numbers increase while moving more off the ball; by trusting his teammates and combining the shooting gravity of the guards with the rim-finishing gravity of himself and the bigs, Banchero is hitting his play-finishing stride in efficiency and volume despite less self-creation.

Orlando finding a way to unlock scoring and playmaking opportunities with Banchero on the move allows him to use his gravity to bend the defense and make read-and-react quick decisions without requiring him to also create the initial advantage every time down the floor.

Banchero's more than capable of creating a good look for Orlando's offense every time down the floor; one thing that makes him so special as a basketball player is that efficient scoring versatility in every play type, no matter how the Magic use him.

Unlocking the rest of the offense around that versatility; utilizing Banchero as playmaking hub and playfinisher will help Orlando score more effectively by creating good looks for others and setting up Banchero with as many ideal scoring opportunities in the paint as possible.

The solution the Magic are looking for is ultimately best for everyone involved; finding a balanced offensive attack achieves multiple goals at once – maximizing Banchero's versatile scoring, playmaking, and play-finishing skillset as a central hub within the offense should get more rim looks, paint touches, and fouls for Paolo and rim-finishers, more space and threes for the best shooters and create an overall more efficient shot profile for the superstar and the team while increasing his box score production in volume, points, and efficiency despite ultimately helping him conserve energy and reducing his creation load.

Banchero not being asked to create every advantage from scratch will ultimately unlock another level for himself as a scorer and the offense as a whole.