Why Paolo Banchero & the Orlando Magic Could SHOCK the NBA in 2026

Why Paolo Banchero & the Orlando Magic Could SHOCK the NBA in 2026

I kind of want to go back to the playoffs. Obviously, we seen what we seen throughout the regular season. Both of those guys had spectacular regular seasons, especially at 22 and 23 years old. Paulo 22, France 23. But in the playoffs, remember how they both raised their levels against the Boston Celtics. Paulo damn near averaged almost 30 and 10. It was 29 when you said he was playing better than Tatum. Yeah, I remember you said Yeah, I remember you said that. But Paulo was averaging 29, eight rebounds, four assist. Fron 25, five rebounds, six assists. They both rose their games in the playoffs. Now, if that’s an implico and 20 age wise and year 24 for France, I could see I could see something similar to that. Do you care about how your food is made, Ron? Do you care about Boston? Yes. The Boston Celtics. Yes. Yes. I hear you. So, here’s the thing. Don’t you, P? Yeah, I do. I do. And And that’s why I’m going to say this. How did he get the 29 points against No, I don’t care about that. Celtics. I care all about that. Oh, are you going to you going to say you’re going to say shooting variance? Oh, damn. It is shooting variance. I I do want to say that this is a 32% look. One of these two things is true. Okay. A 32% three-point shooter became a 44% three-point shooter. So, is this just backto-back years of shooting variance? Cuz it happened last year. Hold on. Hold on. [ __ ] It’s It’s 14 games, yo. It’s 13 games. I remember what you said about Desmond Bane. I remember what you said about Desmond Bane over the last couple postseason. Yesterday, he did. Paulo Bancera has played 12 playoff games. Yeah, he has shot 40% from three in both playoff series, 44% this year. Yeah, if you are going to be concerned about Desmond Bane and his streak of 28%, you better be saying Paulo Banker is a 40% three-point shooter in the playoffs. Just for logical consistency, I I don’t care. I I don’t care if you fall off. I mean, I don’t care. I’m I’m not I’m not going to give you credit for Wait, what am I trying to say here? Yeah, I’m I’m a negatively oriented person, so I’m going to cook you for for falling off in the playoffs, but I’m not going to give you any credit for rising. So, that’s what I’m saying. What? What? Pig, no way. You’re supposed to be awesome. If if you’re the if if you’re the best player, you’re supposed to be awesome in the play. The right answer could have just been it was a small sample size on both sides. And I was probably a bit wrong to overreact to Desmond Bane’s shooting percentages over a 10ame sample. That was the right answer. Not if you shoot well from three in the playoffs, but you don’t do that in the regular season. I’m not gonna praise you. Like that’s a insane thing to say. I’m sorry. All I’m saying the right answer is he was getting busy. That’s the right answer for two backto-back years at 21 and 22. So what are we supposed to expect for 23, 24, 25, 26? Efficiency does go down. Efficiency does go down in the playoffs. Typically defenses gear up. Your numbers should go down a little bit. They shouldn’t go down a lot of it, but they shouldn’t go down. And then when Paulo’s numbers go up, they’re fake. Hold on. But all his numbers did not go up. Mr. Mars, some of his numbers went down. Okay, that efficiency inside the arc went down. Efficiency for mid-range went down around the paint went down. So, he becomes a completely different player in the playoffs. So, one of these two things is true. Number one, shooting varants. Number two, he’s a freaking superstar in the playoffs. He’s like an ultimate playoff riser. Cool. I don’t know which one of those sides you believe on. Number two, this guy, when I watch him some games, I really do see the seeds of a top five player in the league, top 10 player. It really does look that way. I think he’s not good on defense, but he’s capable. But the numbers tell me that for three straight years, the Orlando Magic, actually, for 10 straight years, frankly, so this predates Paulo, have been a bottom five offense. The numbers also tell me that for three straight years of his career in the regular season, this team has been better with him on the bench. So now, see that that’s where that that’s confusing to me. Yeah, that that doesn’t make any sense to me. Whenever I hear that, you know, the the Jokic minutes or the minutes when he’s off the It makes sense. It just doesn’t it doesn’t mean it might not apply to this. What the numbers imply isn’t the reality, but it makes sense why the numbers are that way in. Why are the numbers that way? Um, a lot of it’s to do with lineup. I think France just fits better with the bench units than Paulo does. He’s also a way better defender than um he’s also their best player, but yeah, we know that. Okay, you ain’t going to get much objection from me. I I love France, but I’m not here to I’m not here to make that claim or whatever right now. But I just think in terms of the fit of Paulo with the bench unit or France with the bench unit, France fits better. And then the defensive, there is a falloff when France is on the floor. I mean, when Paulo’s on the floor without France and some of the guys they put around him and they also put Paulo out there with lineups that aren’t as advantageous because they view him as being able to floor raise an offense to a better degree. So, he also gets put with the lesser lineups. But I think we all agree the Magic aren’t a better team without Paulo. They are not. I I agree with that. So, that’s why I say the numbers what they imply isn’t the reality, but you can explain why somewhat the numbers are the way they are. But also, some of it is just flaws within Paulo’s game. thing that he needs to figure out. But when you’re talking about superstars, typically it goes the other way, right? So again, ju just just like his super, you know, just like his super Jaylen Brunson this year statistically. But for the most part, yeah. Well, that’s kind of my point. It’s like typically when you’re talking about Joic, Shay, etc., it would be very weird to see a situation where their team is better with the I think in the playoffs the Thunder were better without Shay, I think. Let’s not let’s not talk about that, okay? cuz because that’s not that’s not part of my selective bias as to what I want to talk about. I’m trying to have an objective conversation. If you trying to get the agenda off, then go for it. But I’ll just stay quiet. You you save your objectivity for, you know, hoop talk. Hoop talk podcast. All right. My fault. Go ahead. Go ahead. Wait a minute. Objectives choice. Really quickly, my fault. My fault. So the limited time that SJ was off the floor, OKC was better with him being off the floor. Is that what I’m saying? In the playoffs, I think in the playoffs. I don’t want to lie to people. I’ll try. Okay. So, like people would people will hear that and the idea will be like they don’t need him at all. Even though when they went up against that Memphis team and they blew them out and I don’t think SGA should have came back in that game to be honest with you because I don’t think they needed him that game which happens where you end up jumping on a team and you might not necessarily need a guy your main guy for that specific game, but the idea that Oklahoma City is better without SGA, please don’t buy into that cuz Yeah, of course. That’s why I’m saying like the what the numbers imply. Yeah. isn’t the reality in small samples, especially like playoff runs, like it can be wonky. So, like I’m not saying compare that to Paulo’s 3 years of data. Like obviously with the three years of data, there’s more to it than Shay’s 200 minutes off the court in the playoffs. So, samples mean a mean a big thing. But I’m just saying, wouldn’t everyone agrees the Magic aren’t better without PA? They are not. No question that they are not. And what what I’m trying to make sense of with with you guys when it comes to France, what what what’s moving you more with France than with Paulo? Is it the shot selection? Is it the defense? Because defense is a huge part of it. I don’t think Paulo is awful defensively, but I also don’t think France is Giannis defensively neither. I mean, I saw this y’all stay quiet. But France is a hell of a defender. I think he I do think Y competes on the defensive end. hollow. I mean, to be on that Orlando Magic team with guys like Isaac, right, and France and Suggs, I mean, you have to be able to compete. And that’s what I’m looking for more than anything, right? I’m looking for him to compete. And I feel like he competes a lot more plays than you guys give him credit for. The thing that I need to see improvement on with Paulo is one, like you just talked about in the playoffs, the shot selection is different. he gets to the rim more in the playoffs than he does in the regular season, which means that he can get to the strike because the the the whistle might be a little bit different in the playoffs. So, you see things different in the playoffs. Now, as far as the long ball, okay, he might get crowded at the long ball a little bit long a little bit more in the playoffs than he would in the regular season. He might get crowded in the mid post and in the mid-range. He might get doubled a little bit more. He’s looking at different He’s looking at different looks. But to his point, I mean to to his defense, he’s a lot more aggressive in the playoffs than he is in the regular season, too. I have to say that about Paul. Sure. That’s such a that’s such a good sign, though. You know, when it’s when it’s really time to hoop, this dude be ready to ball. Same thing with Fron, too. I think they they got good problems over there. And I I also believe, and you know, Ox has alluded to this. I think these two dudes, both I don’t even want to get into the the arguing who’s better out of them two. They on the same team. I agree. I believe that they are about to go crazy this year. I think like kind of the jump similar that we seen to OKC last year, how they just came and just dominated the league and it might be two years ago more so for these guys. Okay, you remember how OKC two years ago how they kind of went from they went from playing team and then they were the one seed the next to just smacking everything. That’s what we’re about to see with these dudes. I I I think we going to see that with it would take a long They don’t have a Shay. I think we can agree on that. Wait, wait, wait, wait. What do you mean? What do you mean? What do you mean? They don’t have that. Oh, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. What do you mean he’s saying he’s saying a player of that caliber? They don’t have a Shay Gilas Alexander caliber. No, they don’t. Ron, Ron, don’t do this. Ron, don’t go. Hold on. Hold on. This is all I want to say. I’m not about to go crazy. I’m listening. I’m listening. I’m not saying they have a top five player. I’m not saying Paulo is as good offensively as Shay. However, I believe this year Paulo establishes his dominance offensively. I I believe and this is not in comparison to Shay. Please just get Shay out your mind while I’m making this statement. I believe he establishes himself as a top 10 15 offensive player in the league where I I might be 30 per night. I might He averaged 26 last year. It’s not crazy to say he averages anywhere from 26 to 30 this year. That right there he establishes himself as a number one option. I’m slaughtering the league now. Keep it real, bro. Some some people would rather deal with Shay than deal with Paulo. And that’s not saying he’s better than Shay. I would never say that. I would never say that unless I believe you. I think a lot of people would rather deal with with Shane than Paulo. When Paulo’s locked in, when he’s like, I’m just killing you. When Paulo realizes he’s 610, 250, like, yeah, I wouldn’t no one would want to guard that. It’s like when people say they don’t want to guard Melo, I’m not saying Paulo is mellow, but like at some point the physical size and dominance of someone does play a factor into what you’d rather guard. Morris, there’s no reason. They don’t have a shade that that’s 44% believe Morris, especially after we just broke down this team. We talked about their defense. We talked about them bringing guys back. We talked about their offseason additions. I think Orlando was a great team this year. They were decimated by injuries. And there’s no asterisk. I don’t believe in passing out asterisks, but there’s no reason for us to believe that this Orlando Magic team is not just as good as OKC this year. I have I have no reason to believe that. No reason whatsoever. None. France is better than J. You never know. Yeah. You never know. You know what I’m saying? Like Like when you you know how I like to do Let’s put the best five players. Let’s put the best five players in the game right here. Three of them dudes are on Orlando. So if I So I So if I line up Orlando starting five, I got Suggs at Oh, my bad. No, no, my bad. My bad. Oh, Jasmine Bane. Jasmine Bane. My fault. forgot about better than Desmond Bane. I’m sorry. I forgot about that. I did. I did. So, forget that. But if if the Yeah, listen. I’m I don’t I don’t want to I don’t want to do that because I’m a chat hater. I don’t want to do that. But look, even in that top that top three though, you know what I’m saying? Like like so I got it go Shay. It go Shay. It go I got Shay at one Apollo on his ass. Mars. So JDub’s not in that tier two because that’s been a conversation that’s going around that’s frown and Paulo are better than Jaydub and I’m not bringing that out for no reason. I don’t know if you guys are on Twitter but the Paulo vers Jdub conversation has been very bad. It shouldn’t be with all the respect to you is Paulo and France and the same tier together and then Jdub that’s your opinion if we’re going tier I want to put some respect on JDub. I want to put some respect on Jaydub as far but he’s okay not different tier but he’s below them like to you he’s below those guys. Where do you guys Yeah. They’re better than Jay Dub for sure. So as an allp pro and all these defenders Bane and like I said check better than Bane but they do completely different things and Desmond Bane is he bro he’s cold bro I like Desmond Bane a lot. This is their defense like Orlando’s defense is is there. Orlando’s defense defense from they could put the ball in the basket as well. Bro, Orlando. Orlando. I have no reason to believe that they’re not better than that. They’re not just as good as OKC. And I know they just won a championship, and I want to put respect on that championship. They are the defending champs, but I have no reason to believe that a healthy Orlando team won’t knock them off in in in a in a in the finals. No reason whatsoever. You do have reason, Ox. And the reason why you the reason here’s why you have here’s why you have reason, Ox. That Orlando Magic team, barring injury, they’re not nearly as connected as that Oklahoma City team one through eight, one through nine. Why you looking at me like I’m crazy? Let’s just say for the sake of argument that you see what Orlando was doing last year. I did see what Orlando did you not see that this team almost won 70 games? Are you serious right now, Ox? Did you not see that they had the league leading scorer? Did you not see that they had what almost three guys make the only league defensive team? This unit and Orlando’s going to have the same Orlando got defenders, too. F France and Jaylen Suggs are gonna are gonna be all defensive this year if and don’t forget that guy Jonathan Isaac off the bench. Okay, so he won’t be all defense because he doesn’t play enough minutes, but he’s definitely of that caliber. He doesn’t he doesn’t play enough defense. I see it when the chat saying Orlando can’t shoot. Desmond Bane is going to is going to knocking [ __ ] down all season. He’s way better than KFC. Let’s not let’s not internal development. France will shoot the ball this year. I’m not going to say that. You’re not going to say why not say say it Mars. I mean that’s the that’s the idea. Could shoot it as a rookie and then he changed his jumper like get back to where he going to get back. But the idea of this Orlando team as good as they are as as good as they are with the starting five of Suggs, Desmond Bane, Paulo France and Wendell Carter. That’s your five right there. You need a new big that’s that that’s your five right there. Right. going up against Oklahoma City who’s got eight, nine guys that are all connected, who’s on defense, elite. Not only are they not not only are they elite, not only are they elite defensively, there aren’t really many holes like Shay is the guy we’re going after defensive. That’s who we that that’s who we’re looking for. Wendell Carter on the other hand, I mean, I think Hartinstein can handle him. And and I look at and I look at Oklahoma City’s front line. I still don’t understand why Jaylen Williams didn’t play more in the in the finals. Even though he did play in the rest of the playoffs, I don’t understand why he didn’t play more in the finals because when he went to that triple big lineup when he played against Denver, it worked and it worked and and it worked mightily. With that being said, this Oklahoma City team, they got nine, 10, even 11 guys at some point. this this Orlando team who hasn’t really proven that going into the playoffs or going deep into the playoffs that they could be viable. I think this Oklahoma City team mops them dudes. I don’t think that they beat them. I think they mocked them dudes. Five games top smoke them dudes. The difference between both games. It’s going to be 92 to 88. That’s what I think Wait, what’ you say Mars? Neither team scoring on each other’s defense is what I was saying. Chill. I Okay. Or maybe I just love Orlando. See, that’s the thing. Just because I like and that’s fine. I I don’t really I don’t really drink soda, but just because I like Pepsi don’t mean I hate Coke. You know what I’m saying? Let’s Let’s not do that. But what I what I what I what I am saying, Chills, I think sometimes See, I I think you base it more off of what’s already happened like or OKC was this good last year. But I don’t think you’re taking into account that teams a lot a lot changes over the summertime. A lot changes just by just simple moves being made and saying young dudes getting a year older and and and hurt guys getting healthy. That’s that’s that’s all I’m saying. And I think I think we need to acknowledge the fact that Orlando got exponentially better. Sure. They got exponentially better just by getting healthy and and making additions. You know what I’m saying? So it’s they did two things. They made offseason additions and their their hurt guys are getting healthy. Mo Vagner, he can play this year. Sure. You know what I’m saying? And I I just I just think that matters. And if not, that’s why they brought up Anthony Black yet, who I love. Yeah, that’s why Ty don’t they got Don’t forget they got they finally got Cole Anthony out the way. They got Markeel folks out the way. I tried to tell y’all. I tried to tell I’m trying I tried to tell y’all them dudes are bums. I tried to tell y’all with Man, Markeel was nice for the Kings. What are you doing? Oh my god. Yo, but before we before we get to this crunch time chat segment, chill. The only thing I want to say to you is they played very good against the Celtics. They lost in five and the Celtics the Celtics for the most part handled him. But I’m saying chill. How how different does that series look if you insert a healthy Movy Jaylen Suggs and then you drop Desmond Bane on that team? They win one more game. This is this is the team that you believe would have won the NBA finals. the Celtics team that you believe that you believe we’re going to go back to back. Sure. I’m just saying if they if they and I know that’s not obviously the end all be all. Oh, if they could take the Celtics to seven that means that they beat the Thunder. I’m not saying that. I’m just saying that that team looks a little different and that series looks completely different as well. And I’m not going to argue that point, Ron. What I am going to argue to to what Ox was just talking about the very thing that you loving about this Oklahoma City team, I’m sorry, about this Orlando team in terms of health. I love I saw them big love. That’s exactly because what we what we get wrapped up in a lot of times, especially in free agency, we get wrapped up in teams making moves in free agency and not thinking about like Jay Dub’s gonna be better next year. Jay Dub ain’t gonna be the same player that he was last season. I don’t know that chat’s not going to be the same player that he was last. Of course you don’t know that. But but it’s interesting that you know that France is going to be better next year. I said that either. No. Mars said is he gonna be a better shooter? I said I can’t say that. I don’t know. So then so then Ox if he’s coming back the same player that he was last year better than Jay Dub. Still better than Jay Dub who coming back who I think is coming back better because he wasn’t the same player that he was last year that he was the year before that or his rook season. He’s a better player and well chill. Can I can I just real quick? I just want to make sure that I I don’t get misconstrued. I never mentioned I never mentioned player development in any of this because I don’t I can’t I can never say who’s going to get better, who’s going to get worse. All I talk about is getting healthy and and making additions. That’s it. So, by getting healthy and making additions, that’s all. I I already thought France France was better than Jub. So, if they come back the same, I still think he’s better than JDub. That’s all. And and and to your point again to counter that, Ox, you’ve said to me countless times, in a year things change. Not in a year. In six months things change. Not just in six months, a month things change. Right? In six days things change. So by next year you don’t think Jayd Dub is better than France. You don’t think Jayd Dub is better than Paulo? What happens if Jub comes back next year and he’s sharper than what he was last year which makes this Oklahoma City team even better? What happens when SGA comes back and he’s added a different aspect to his game, which he didn’t have last year, which makes him better? What happens if Chad puts on 10 extra pounds and he’s jumping higher and he’s better around the rim and a better rebounder? These are the things that I’m thinking about when I think about units in terms of getting better. I’m not just thinking about adding Giannis to the crew or adding Jimmy Butler to the crew. I’m thinking about I already wrong got the ingredients in the refrigerator. Cook it. Make it better. And I and when I think about this Orlando team, sure they have everything necessary to win, right? They have everything necessary to win in the future. this Oklahoma City team, what they have and then that getting enhanced. And I ain’t talking about adding anything. I’m talking about those guys getting better makes them even more viable. Yeah. If that if that all happens, chill, then I’m I’m wrong. [Music]

The Panel discuss the Orlando Magic going into the 2026 NBA Season and what they expect from the star duo of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.

📅 Live Episodes Every Week: Weekdays @ 11AM EST

🔴FULL EPISODE: https://youtube.com/live/ziliK3bg19w

🔵BECOME A MEMBER
➜ https://www.youtube.com/c/PlayersChoiceShow/join/join

▶THE PANEL PLAYLIST
➜ https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTUnr42UwML-yLkgSejBQg0icXUd0seh9

💎SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL
➜ https://bit.ly/subscribePCShow

▶️ Join us on Playback for NBA Watch Parties
➜ https://www.playback.tv/playerschoice

🎧PODCASTS
➜ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6HdAfxZoc7ZmhnttuAb9Y6
➜ Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1568579417
➜ Google Podcast: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5idXp6c3Byb3V0LmNvbS8xNzg1OTcwLnJzcw==

📱SOCIALS
➜ Instagram: https://bit.ly/PCShowIG
➜ TikTok: https://bit.ly/PCShowTikTok
➜ Twitter: https://bit.ly/PCShowTwitter
➜ Discord: https://discord.gg/kn2BkbfJU3
➜ Snapchat: https://t.snapchat.com/ytQg595H
➜ Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/PlayersChoice/
➜ Twitch: https://bit.ly/3cIi0ea
➜ Chltwn32: https://www.youtube.com/@ChillTownHoops
➜ Big Ox Bob: https://www.youtube.com/@UCwksBtRT4Z2rgi1JlCqNqmQ
➜ Jordan: https://www.instagram.com/drenchmansports/
➜ Marz: https://www.youtube.com/@MarzTalksSports
➜ Ron: https://www.instagram.com/laron.comm/
➜ Swipa: https://www.youtube.com/@SwipaCam

👕CHECK OUT OUR MERCH
➜ https://bit.ly/3CYDkH3

📧COLLABORATION/SPONSORSHIP INQUIRIES
➜ info@smck77.tv

#ThePanel #PlayersChoiceThePanel #PlayersChoice