Paolo Banchero made his first appearance in a Magic uniform on Thursday night, scoring 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the field in the team’s Summer League win over the Rockets.
The 2022 No. 1 overall pick was excited to get out on the court and while he wanted to prove why he was the right choice for the organization over Jabari Smith Jr. (who had 10 points in the contest), ultimately, the Duke product just wanted to win.
“I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder but that wasn’t my mindset,” Paolo explained (via ESPN). “I wanted to come out and get the win, get used to playing with the guys, it’s our first Summer League game.”
Banchero also added six assists and four assists in the contest.
“I felt comfortable, you know, just to get my body to catch up. It’s been a while since I last played,” Banchero continued. “I’m battling some soreness right now but it was fun, I felt really good out there.”
The Magic’s next contest is on Saturday against the Kings, led by No. 4 overall pick Keegan Murray.
