Paolo Banchero, player of the Orlando Magic, spoke about his future in the NBA and his expectations regarding the MVP award.
Orlando Magic’s surprisingly good season ended with a dramatic seven-game series loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Round 1 of the playoffs. The young team finished the regular season in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, with Paolo Banchero being the standout player. The American national team member discussed his future:
“MVP is the award you dream about. I don’t think it’s unrealistic for me to get there at some point. I’m trying to be the complete player. I’m not there yet. But that’s my vision for myself: A guy who doesn’t have any weaknesses on either side of the floor and who can go out there and do everything.
Once I got drafted, all that was on my mind was being the best rookie. I kind of got anxious heading into my second year because I was back along with everybody else and part of the field. My mission is to be the best in the NBA. Banchero told Ben Golliver of The Washington Post.
After playing in 72 games as a rookie, Banchero played in a total of 80 games for the Magic this season. He averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game while shooting 45.5 percent from the floor.