By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Interviewed by J.J. Redick and Tommy Alter on The Old Man and the Three, Paolo Banchero talked about his first months in the NBA after being drafted with the #1 pick by the Orlando Magic in the summer.
The likely-to-be Italian Rookie of the Year expressed how he felt when he faced Kevin Durant. “Playing against KD was my welcome to the NBA moment. I guard him for most of that game and it was really just nothing you can do. Some guys get to the line a bunch or play with the refs and get calls and that’s how they get 14 points from the line. KD was straight business. He wasn’t saying anything to the refs, he was getting to the line, but he had 45 so most of those were buckets”, he said.
Then, he went on to speak about Orlando’s ambitions. “I think we just gotta continue to prove ourselves to the rest of the league that we’re a good team. We’ve just been buying in lately and really coming together as a group and it’s been showing. I think the teams starting to have that attitude too of not letting losing be the normal vibe around the organization”, the Duke product added.
The 20-year-old talked about the impact of his teammate Bol Bol, sharing his favorite play so far. “He has to be what he did against the Hawks, that was crazy. He always does that, he’s running down the court and you’re just watching him. You don’t really know what to do. I wasn’t surprised, I knew the player Bol Bol was at high school. You know he’s capable of this, he just needed a chance”, he said.
Paolo Banchero was also asked if he realized how good Franz Wagner was before playing with him. “No. But I knew right away. Before I even stepped on the court with him, I could just tell that he got it. He knows how good he is, it didn’t take long”, he added about the German superstar.
The Orlando Magic’s most anticipated player is averaging 21.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4 assists per game, shooting 44.9% from the field in his first NBA Regular Season.
PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images