DWI-Related Charges Dropped Against Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero
During his year at Duke, Paolo Banchero was arrested for aiding and abetting impaired driving.
According to North Carolina law, aiding and abetting DWI occurs when a person knowingly aids, encourages, instigates, or advises another to drive (or attempt to drive) while impaired.
Earlier this week, the impaired driver, Banchero's Duke teammate Michael Savarino, pleaded guilty to the charge. As a result, the charges against Banchero were dropped.
The news comes less than 24 hours after Banchero signed a massive endorsement deal with Jordan Brand.
In 36 career games at Duke last season, Banchero averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. Banchero took home ACC Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-ACC honors following his lone campaign at Duke.
Banchero's one-and-done season at Duke showcased just how spectacular he could be as a prototype forward in the league.
For a team that ranked second worst in the NBA in scoring, Banchero would be given the green light with the Magic to create offense off the dribble.
Despite shooting a subpar 33.8 percent from three while at Duke, he still has the mechanics and ability to be an elite scorer from all three levels.
On top of his ability to put the ball in the basket, Banchero is also an underrated facilitator, whether that be in the open court after grabbing a defensive rebound, or in half-court offensive sets, he has the vision and basketball IQ to be a five assist caliber player.
Now that Banchero has moved on from this slight legal trouble, he can move along to enjoy his NBA career.
