A crazy statistic proves that Paolo Banchero can soon become an NBA superstar

The offspring has arrived.

This is the era of Paolo Banchero. Not only has he arrived, but he’s also put up some historic numbers in his short time in the NBA. For example, he is one of only three No. 1 picks to have at least 25 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in his NBA debut. The others are LeBron James and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Banchero also became only the second teenager to score 30 or more points and at least 15 rebounds in a game. His entry into the NBA truly feels like magic and he continues to put up impressive numbers.

Very few players have managed to average 20+ points, 5+ rebounds and 5+ assists per game in their first two years in the NBA. Among them are the greats LeBron James and Oscar Robertson. Despite limited media coverage, Banchero has quietly become one of the best players in the league and almost joined this exclusive club. He’s averaging 21.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game over two seasons, just 0.4 assists per game short. This is an incredibly impressive feat and Banchero has exceeded any expectations anyone in Orlando had for him.

Oscar Robertson is one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. This guy averaged 30.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 9.7 assists per game in his rookie season. The Cincinnati Royals finished 33-47 that year and missed the postseason. Although Banchero didn’t put up as eye-popping numbers as Robertson did in his first year, he led the Magic to 35 wins – two more than the guy they used to call Mr. Triple Double.

Everyone knew Banchero had to be so great to make the Orlando Magic a title contender. The task simply seemed unrealistic for anyone, even great people like LeBron James or Oscar Robertson. These two greats had the same ability to improve the players around them while competing at the highest level.

LeBron James showed early in his career that he was capable of leading a team without All-Star teammates, but did not lead a team to the postseason in his second year. Not only did Banchero carry his team to the playoffs, but Orlando was just three wins away from hosting a playoff series in Central Florida. No one would have thought this close possibility before the start of the season last year. Now, most people in and around the NBA believe that the Magic will definitely be a playoff team in 2025, and that belief is based on Banchero being a historically great player.

There is still a lot of work to be done, but there seems to be good reason to believe that Banchero can be the number one option in the future and there is no need to make a spectacular trade for anyone. Banchero has proven that he is elite enough to carry the Magic to the playoffs and that he doesn’t need another All-Star player on the roster to do so. The organization wanted to find out before making spontaneous decisions with the squad.

Banchero is a player like LeBron James or Oscar Robertson – someone who makes the team better with his presence on both ends of the court. He is taller than both of these historically great players, as he stands 6 feet tall and weighs about 250 pounds. Mind you, this guy has top-notch lateral quickness, can drive past you and upstage you like LeBron, or line up like Carmelo Anthony and hit fadeaway jumpers from the baseline. And it’s only entering its third season.

The Magic team he leads will be incredibly good if Banchero can continue to improve his teammates and develop on and off the court. He’ll need his vice president, Franz Wagner, to make a move this year, but the future is still bright for Banchero and the Magic, especially if he continues to put up numbers like that.