Magic's Paolo Banchero Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is playing some of the best basketball of his professional career. On Monday, the NBA honored him as the best player in the Eastern Conference for the past week – the second time in third-year pro's career he's won the award.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates his three-pointer against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at Kia Center. | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. –– Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 23 of the regular season (March 24-30), the NBA announced on Monday afternoon.

Banchero averaged 30.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 54.3 percent from the field. He helped lead the Magic to a 3-1 record for the week.

"He's earned it and deserves that," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said of Banchero's honor Monday. "I texted him a bit ago just congratulating him, but also letting him know it's a small sample size of things that are to come for him."

It is the second time in Banchero's three-year career that he has won the award. His other honor came last season, when he was named the best player in the East for the week ending on Nov. 26, 2023.

Before winning this past week's honor, he'd been nominated for three consecutive weeks, but lost out once to Atlanta's Trae Young (March 10) and twice to Chicago's Coby White (March 17, 24).

This season, Banchero is averaging a career-high 25.9 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 34.3 minutes over 41 starts. Back healthy after missing 34 games from Nov. 1 to Jan. 9 with a torn right abdominal muscle, he has looked stronger than ever – his 29.7 points per game post-All-Star break is second in the NBA to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 34.1, who is an MVP candidate for the West-leading OKC Thunder.

Overall, Banchero has led the Magic in scoring 23 times, 10 times on the glass and 25 times in assists.

Per the NBA's player participation rules, Banchero will not reach the 65-game threshold required to be considered for end-of-year awards such as All-NBA. He was a first-time All-Star in 2024 and the league's Rookie of the Year in 2023.

He is currently on a streak of 16 consecutive games of 20-or-more points, the longest such stretch of his career. Prior to scoring 24 points in Saturday's win over the Sacramento Kings, Banchero had become just the third player in Magic history to score 30-plus points in five consecutive games. (Shaquille O'Neal, Tracy McGrady).

This season, Banchero has posted 20-plus points 31 times, 30-plus 16 times and 40-plus four times, including a career-high 50-point showing on Oct. 28 vs. Indiana.

Banchero and the Magic (36-39) play host to the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. ET on Monday evening, wrapping up a three-game homestand.

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