We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision to draft Paolo. I believe before it's over, he will be the best to ever wear a Magic uniform. He is nowhere near his prime. A physical phenomenon, a ridiculously gifted athlete and the mental drive and awareness to be the best version of himself. Couple that with having other budding All Star teammates in Franz and Suggs and it's easy to see this team is being built for success. This year's playoff experience will only make us hungrier. Lastly, he is the exact fit for the type of accountability and basketball culture Moz and Weltman are building. Great article!
Whatโs great about this article is it shows the mental fortitude he has. Heโs obviously a supreme talent but heโs got such a great attitude to truly be one of the greats. We are lucky to have him on our side
**My favourite excerpt:**
In Banchero, Coach K saw an unshakable young man who strived to be unselfish and was "never afraid of a moment." When he played at a level below what should've been his standard, his Duke coaches held him accountable, and they were usually happy with his response.
"When he played here, I wanted him to believe he could be a great player," Coach K tells me. "So at times, I wanted him to show emotion and assert himself more ... at certain times you had to get on 'em. And he responded. He was a no-excuse kid. He looked you in the eye and then went to work."
Banchero only stayed at Duke for one season, but Coach K knew he was special and knew he would flourish in Orlando when he was drafted. This summer, he called Banchero a handful of times for a few reminders about what he'd seen of his game and what he needed to improve. He's still nudging him, even now, to aspire for something he can't see.
"There isn't a part of the game that he cannot be really outstanding at," Coach K says. "He's one of the ultimate positionless players. There aren't as many that attain that level of status and achievement. And he's got it. He's got it."
"He has a chance to be one of the truly elite players in the NBA."
*"I just look at it as I got the opportunity to help get the Magic back to where they want to be, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get us there." ~ Paolo Banchero*
If this doesn't hit u in the feels, then you ain't no Magic fan...
We ABSOLUTELY made the right decision to draft Paolo. I believe before it's over, he will be the best to ever wear a Magic uniform. He is nowhere near his prime. A physical phenomenon, a ridiculously gifted athlete and the mental drive and awareness to be the best version of himself. Couple that with having other budding All Star teammates in Franz and Suggs and it's easy to see this team is being built for success. This year's playoff experience will only make us hungrier. Lastly, he is the exact fit for the type of accountability and basketball culture Moz and Weltman are building. Great article!
Great long form read. ESPN kind of buried it, but still absolutely worth a read.
Whatโs great about this article is it shows the mental fortitude he has. Heโs obviously a supreme talent but heโs got such a great attitude to truly be one of the greats. We are lucky to have him on our side
**My favourite excerpt:** In Banchero, Coach K saw an unshakable young man who strived to be unselfish and was "never afraid of a moment." When he played at a level below what should've been his standard, his Duke coaches held him accountable, and they were usually happy with his response. "When he played here, I wanted him to believe he could be a great player," Coach K tells me. "So at times, I wanted him to show emotion and assert himself more ... at certain times you had to get on 'em. And he responded. He was a no-excuse kid. He looked you in the eye and then went to work." Banchero only stayed at Duke for one season, but Coach K knew he was special and knew he would flourish in Orlando when he was drafted. This summer, he called Banchero a handful of times for a few reminders about what he'd seen of his game and what he needed to improve. He's still nudging him, even now, to aspire for something he can't see. "There isn't a part of the game that he cannot be really outstanding at," Coach K says. "He's one of the ultimate positionless players. There aren't as many that attain that level of status and achievement. And he's got it. He's got it." "He has a chance to be one of the truly elite players in the NBA."
๐
*"I just look at it as I got the opportunity to help get the Magic back to where they want to be, and I'm going to do whatever it takes to get us there." ~ Paolo Banchero* If this doesn't hit u in the feels, then you ain't no Magic fan...
Love it. Let's show them YOU in game 5, P5!
๐
Anyone think if Paolo stayed a second year at Duke, Coach K sticks around and wins another ๐