Orlando Magic Star Paolo Banchero Getting Better From 3-Point Land
The Orlando Magic is off to its best start in 12 years with a 10-5 record, but there's one metric the team hasn't performed well in ... 3-point shooting.
But an exception to that has been Paolo Banchero, the reigning Rookie of the Year, who hit a clutch 3-point shot to take the lead late in Wednesday night's win against the defending champion Denver Nuggets.
"I've always been a good shooter so just believing in it and then taking the right ones too -- the ones that are in rhythm, the ones that feel good," Banchero said via Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. And when I do take them, shooting it with confidence. There's no wavering. Every shot I shoot, I think it's going in. So, that's just the mentality and I've been shooting it well."
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) during the first quarter at Amway Center.
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Banchero has been shooting it well, and it's been a major improvement in his game. Last season, Banchero shot under 30 percent from downtown. But in 15 games so far this season, that number has jumped to 45.5 percent, which ranks 15th in the entire league.
The Magic does need to improve as a team in that department, but if Banchero leads the way, Orlando could take its hot start and turn into one of the Eastern Conference's true threats.
Banchero and the Magic is back in action on Black Friday in the team's final In-Season Tournament game against the Boston Celtics at home. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET from the Amway Center.
