Magic shut Banchero down after sterling SL debut
After a sterling first couple of games, the Magic decided to shut down No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero for the remainder…
LAS VEGAS — Paolo Banchero showed the Orlando Magic plenty in his two summer league contests. And the Magic decided that was enough.
The No. 1 pick is getting the rest of summer league off, after averaging 20 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds in his two games in Las Vegas. The Magic made the decision so they could evaluate other players who are with them this summer and see who might merit a roster spot or G League opportunity.
“I want to give these other guys an opportunity to play, to kind of be able to show what they’re capable of doing,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s the point of summer league, you know, give them a chance … an opportunity for these other guys to see what they’re capable of doing. And we’ve seen what Paolo was capable of doing.”
Banchero said he would have liked to keep playing but deferred to what the team thought was best.
“They suggested what was best for me, and I didn’t really want to push back or nothing,” he said. “I was happy with how I played. They were happy with how I played. They were just comfortable with doing that; I wasn’t going to give them any push back.”
The Magic are also expected to give Admiral Schofield and R.J. Hampton the remainder of summer league off, which opens up even more minutes for players to get opportunities in Las Vegas. Mosley said Banchero got all he needed out of the summer experience.
“His understanding of what he needs to do in certain situations, the concepts that we’re preaching offensively and defensively, he’s grasping on to those,” Mosley said. “Watching film together, he’s observing those things. He explains to me the things that he sees on the floor. It’s only two games, but you’re watching those film sessions and you realize how he’s registering all of it. So that’s how you can make the judgment that it’s time [to] let these other guys get those moments.”
Banchero said he learned a lot from the experience.
“I was happy with the way I played, but there was a lot I could improve on,” he said. “The second game I had a lot of turnovers. Just getting in even better shape. I felt like, those were my first two games, so just build my wind back up. But overall, I think I did pretty good.
“This time in Vegas has helped me a lot as a basketball player.”
Meanwhile, San Antonio Spurs guard Josh Primo was ruled out of Monday’s game against the Houston Rockets after he entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols. Primo, who averaged 15 points and 4.5 assists in two games in Vegas, will likely miss the remainder of summer league as well.
The Associated Press and ESPN’s Andrew Lopez contributed to this report.
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