Magic forward Paolo Banchero named 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year

Paolo Banchero of Seattle, Washington has won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the 2022-23 NBA regular season. The first overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft had a very solid first year season in the National Basketball Association with the Orlando Magic.

Banchero averaged 20.0 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, and 3.7 assists per game in 72 regular season contests. He had a field goal percentage of .427, three-point percentage of .298 and a free throw percentage of .738. The 20-year-old power forward came to the Magic after a solid 2021-22 season with Duke, where he averaged 17.2 points in 39 games.

From an offensive standpoint, Banchero’s best game came on November 5, 2022. He had 33 points and 16 rebounds in a 126-123 Sacramento Kings loss. The 33 points and 16 boards were both season highs.

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Banchero is the third Magic player in franchise history to win the rookie of the year award. He follows future Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal of Newark, New Jersey (1992-93) and small forward Mike Miller of Mitchell, South Dakota (2000-01). O’Neal averaged a double-double in his rookie season. He had 23.4 points per game, and 13.9 rebounds per game. Miller meanwhile had 11.9 points per game in his rookie season.

Banchero is the 23rd first overall pick to be named the NBA Rookie of the Year. O’Neal also was the first overall pick in 1992 out of Louisiana State University.

The Magic are definitely a team in the process of rebuilding. They finished in fourth place in the Southeast Division in 2022-23 with a record of 34 wins and 48 losses. Still, there were signs of improvement. It was a 12-win improvement from the previous season where they had a record of 22 wins and 60 losses.

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