How Paolo Banchero is Leveling Up His Game in Just One Summer

Paolo Banchero is ready to level up his game.

Paolo is putting pressure on himself to take that superstar leap and putting in the work this summer to back up his words.

In a one-on-one interview with Stephen A. Smith, Banchero opened up on many topics surrounding the team, ranging from the Orlando Magic's first round exit to the Pistons, the coaching change, offseason workouts, to thoughts on the rest of the league. The full interview can be watched below:

In the open, Banchero declares his goals, sharing his focus this summer on offseason workouts after a playoff run that ended too abruptly for the team:

I have been locked in. I have been working.

Definitely the hardest I have worked in an offseason...

After losing 3 years in a row in the first round, that sense of urgency is definitely there for me… That is all that has been on my mind this summer…

Doing what I need to do physically and mentally to get ready for a playoff run.
Paolo Banchero

Paolo had a LOT of good things to say about his running mate, Franz Wagner: pic.twitter.com/GeYhoR3WSw
— Chris Janssen (@ChrisJanssen) July 17, 2026

Paolo took accountability for the play of himself and his teammates not being good enough last season. He praised Franz Wagner as a key player for this team, and he was open about the areas he needs to improve, noting a need to develop physically and mentally:

The biggest thing is just to be in elite shape.

Last 2 seasons I have dealt with a little bit of injuries.

Being in elite shape; making sure my body is ready for the grind of the season, ready to go the distance. Challenging my mind with workouts… Conditioning…

Be bullet proof almost, if I can.

Obviously, I do play really well in the playoffs, but it has not been enough…

Regardless of the numbers and some of the games I have had, it still has not been enough to advance. (There) is a lot more work for me to do; that has just been my mindset.

Starting back from zero, I feel like. We have to take the next step; I have to take the next step.

So, I am just putting that pressure on myself; not in a bad way, in a good way.
Paolo Banchero

I asked Desmond Bane how he likes the looks this Magic team generates when Bane initiates P&R with Paolo

“It’s honestly the first time I’ve ever been in a Pick-and-Roll situation with somebody that’s feared more than me, or equally as much as me.” - Desmond Bane

@HeatMagicOnSI pic.twitter.com/5LkY2mx1Jk
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) October 23, 2025

Paolo Banchero's Biggest Development Areas

There is plenty of evidence supporting the idea that Banchero has been and is a star for Orlando. The box score numbers pop out right away, especially in the playoffs, let alone the tape of this 6'10" bully ball tough shot making midrange assassin.

The trouble these last two seasons, noted in Paolo's desire to improve his physical athleticism and mental strengths, have been more about bigger picture ideas and circumstances forced by injuries; with that said, if Orlando expects the possibility of injuries, preparing for those situations is smart.

With Franz Wagner missing such serious time to injury the last two seasons, along with Jalen Suggs and Anthony Black missing their fair share of time after showing real flashes of development, Banchero was often left being asked to do a little too much of everything, from guarding the opposing star to creating every advantage and making every decision every time down on offense; after awhile, games could become a slog where if Orlando didn't rush out to an early lead to coast on, the team would give up prematurely when it knows it needs its elite defense to force stops and turnovers, but that elite defense was often missing its premier wing defenders in Wagner, Suggs, and Black.

There are development areas of Banchero's game that are low-hanging fruit; Paolo is unstoppable in the paint, full stop.

Getting Banchero the ball in early transition deep paint seals, and any mismatches down low for him to go to work, almost always leads to good, efficient scoring results for him and his team, whether it be a shot, a foul drawn, or an open kickout. Encouraging more if not all of Paolo's shots to come at the rim, especially when the jumper isn't falling, would skyrocket his overall scoring efficiency. Utilizing Banchero's playmaking every possession as a hub in a simple read-and-react way from the elbows and block surrounded by shooters while ideally moving downhill with a head of steam could unlock a truly unique paint-and-spray scoring hub.

Taking more open 3s and paint shots, along with less tough midrange pull-ups, are the type of better shot selection ideas that new head coach Sean Sweeney emphasized when I asked him about this roster, saying, "we need... education on shot quality, shot distribution, and shot allocation."

Here’s 2 MIN of new Orlando Magic Head Coach Sean Sweeney’s Defensive & Offensive Philosophies

I asked Sean if this roster fits his Aggressive Switching Defensive style + how he will balance the Offense:

“We need… Education on Shot Quality, Shot Distribution, Shot Allocation” pic.twitter.com/EvwMKdDEGN
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) June 18, 2026

While Paolo is one of the best midrange shot makers in the world, and while his baseline turnaround fadeaway is a personal favorite for any fan of tough shot making hoops, those are the types of tough shots that should be saved for mismatches, wide open looks, and clutch time kill shots; a counter weapon for the end of the shot clock, not the first option before even hunting a better look.

No one would look at Banchero last season and think he was out of shape; if anything, the question became if he was too strong, if his basketball weight was better when slimmer and more mobile, like how LeBron and Carmelo famously slimmed down to extend their careers. These questions rose because he clearly showed more mobility, agility, bounce, and what die-hard fans would call general athleticism during his early years, especially as a rookie, which seemed to fade over time, which shouldn't happen until his 30s or later.

Simply finding a new workout plan, diet goals, and idea of what his peak basketball athleticism looks like is the next step for finding a weight that works for him to be most effective and conditioned for the full 82 and a playoff run, especially if he's now being asked to commit to an ever-switching and trapping defense under Sweeney, who told me in that same quote,"the same way we talked about activating all five guys on offense, we would like to do that on the defensive end."

From all leaks and reports, Paolo has been laser-focused this summer on just that.

Adversity builds character.
Eric Weiss

Paolo moving like Rookie Paolo with the jumper looking clean… scary hours https://t.co/229ZfPkEKE
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) July 21, 2026

Banchero has addressed his midrange efficiency concerns by working on his jumper with one of the only human beings in the world who has been as generationally great at midrange jumpers as most players are at layups – Kevin Durant.

If Banchero leaves the gym with any of that "KD Midrange 1.0 PPP" middy pull-up magic, he'll be in a better place as a tough shot maker. Paolo is already a natural killer from the midrange; becoming more efficient consistently is what separates those shot choices going from a questionable decision to a good one and one of the primary options.

Nobody Better Than KD For Paolo To Work With In The Offseason

🎥(IG/adamharrington) https://t.co/W9NjOAXksd pic.twitter.com/HcoYgP4wVI
— Huncho Hoops (@HunchoHoops) July 20, 2026

Improving shot selection, physical shape, athletic mobility, mental fortitude, midrange touch while taking accountability for team failures are all great signs for Paolo as a player and a leader in Orlando.

Carving out consistent shooting efficiency from the midrange while picking his spots more acutely within the offense and taking more shots at the rim and when open from deep are two baby steps towards higher true shooting percentage and team-wide scoring efficiency.

The new coaching staff finding a way to combine the strengths of Banchero's tough shot making abilities; playmaking from the elbow, block, and short-roll; and unstoppable downhill force to the rim is the final frontier for unlocking the most dynamic version of this Orlando Magic offense.

All Paolo can do is put in the work, fine-tune his skills, and buy into the new system that will likely ask a lot of him to give his all on both ends, but if everyone on the team buys into their role and does their part, he'll still get his individual numbers and the team will stack up wins while doing it.

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