Paolo Banchero welcomes Indiana Pacers to Orlando

The state of Indiana love basketball, and Paolo Banchero loves playing basketball against the state of Indiana.

With Tyrese Haliburton, Johnny Furphy, & now Ivica Zubac ruled out for the season; along with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Aaron Nesmith listed as day-to-day, the Pacers are running out of bodies, and fast

Someone's got to run point; could they let assistant coach Jannero Pargo suit up, for old times sake?

Assuming Siakam does play, how will Orlando slow down the transition killer spin move savant?

Will the Magic let Paolo loose in a favorable matchup?

3 Keys to a Magic Win

1. Contain Siakam

Siakam drives on Banchero — Jan 4, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) is fouled by Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Siakam was voted NBA All-Star for a reason this season; he improved his production and raised his efficiency while increasing his volume of shots and creation load for the Pacers.

A killer in transition, and savvy with the patented spin move on drives, Siakam is looking to finish with finesse, not force; if Orlando can use that to their advantage, they should by contesting Siakam's touch shots and make him initiate contact and finish hard at the rim, which is not his first choice.

Don't foul Siakam, but you can probably double team him if he gets going, being the main scoring threat Indiana has to offer; make others beat you.

2. Win the rebounding battle and free throw margins

Wendell putback — Jan 4, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) is fouled by Indiana Pacers center Jay Huff (32) during the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Don't let the Pacers stick around in this game due to second chance opportunities on the glass; bad decisions like avoidable fouls will lead to easy scoring opportunities at the free throw line.

Since Feb 1, Orlando draws fouls at the 4th-best rate (FT Rate) and plays safe with the ball at the 7th best rate. (TOV%)

The Magic's defense is rated 9th overall mainly due to forcing tough shots at the 8th-best rate (eFG%), along with an average amount of forcing turnovers (17th) and rebounding. (15th)

The Magic leaning on strengths of defensive rebounding, drawing fouls, and playing safe with the ball, to prevent easy points for the opponent, will help them win the margins, and more importantly, keep this game out of reach.

3. Paolo the Pacers Killer

Paolo rises for jump shot — Jan 4, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) shoots against Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) during the second half at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Banchero likes to see Indiana on the schedule.

Averaging 28 PTS - 7 REB - 4 AST against the Pacers while scoring at a 61.5% TS% rate in that matchup over 8 career games, Banchero scores his highest per game average by PPG and his 2nd-best efficiency by TS% against the Pacers compared to any other team.

Scoring a career-high 50 PTS in Indiana back in 2024 is the fondest memory of all, helping juice the numbers a bit.

With Orlando's offense more-or-less humming over the last two months despite the most recent 4-game skid in competitive outs against tough competition, the team will want to find Paolo early and often in this matchup.

Running on fast breaks for early post seals, crashing the glass for offensive rebounds, looking to hunt contact and attack the rack as often as possible will all lead to easy points in energetic ways Banchero likes to score, on top of all the things he does in the halfcourt as a malleable creator who can help bend the defense on and off the ball.