Some of the best players in the world are in the Eastern Conference.
You have two in Boston with Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown. There are two in Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. You have the New York Knicks with Jalen Brunson and the Indiana Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton. You can’t forget Miami Heat stars Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. You also can’t leave out players like Atlanta’s Trae Young.
The Eastern Conference is loaded with talent. After all, they won the NBA All-Star Gamefor what it’s worth.
The Orlando Magic aren’t often mentioned with these teams. Paolo Banchero was an All-Star for the first time as a sophomore, but he rarely appears on national television. And we’re not talking about the Magic as an elite team in the conference. Even among the young, up-and-coming teams in the league.
The two frustrating defeats this weekend to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers seemed to put a hole in the ball of the team’s rising star. But the Magic are still not out of the race for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Overall, the Magic are ahead of schedule and demanding attention. Banchero is certainly one of the main reasons why.
The biggest question is where these players rank this season when it comes to team expectations and overall improvement. And more importantly, where does Paolo Banchero fit on these lists?
This season, Banchero is averaging 22.8 points per game, 6.8 rebounds per game and 5.2 assists per game. These numbers alone place Banchero very high among Eastern Conference players.
Banchero may not yet be considered among the elite players in the Eastern Conference. The Playoffs will help determine its place in the Eastern Conference hierarchy. Everyone is eager to see what Banchero looks like on this stage.
He still has a lot to prove to find his place in the championship.
