Magic’s Banchero grabs attention fast
Here’s what happened in the first few seconds of this year’s NBA Summer League in Las Vegas the other night: Amid the squeaking of sneakers, and the noise generated by the people filling just about every lower-bowl seat in the arena, one voice could still be clearly heard.
That voice belonged to Paolo Banchero.
In the first moments of his first NBA game, the 6-foot-10 power forward was the loudest talker on defense for the Orlando Magic.
And that was one of many good signs the 19year-old out of Duke displayed during his opening night of pro basketball, just a few weeks after he was drafted No. 1 overall.
Banchero’s final numbers from the 91-77 win over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night were 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting, along with six assists and six fouls (you’re allowed more in Summer League) in 26 minutes. The numbers are all irrelevant, even though overreacting to summer stats has become an NBA tradition.
The relevant part was how Banchero kept making the right play.
The first time he touched the ball, he didn’t hesitate in whipping a pass to Devin Cannady for an open three. His next touch, he drew a foul against Jabari Smith Jr.
— the No. 3 pick by Houston, someone who many thought Orlando would take with the No. 1 selection.
Banchero made his first four shots, two of them from three-point range. He forced Houston into at least three turnovers just by being in the right place on defense. He felt a double-team coming on a post-up and again made the smart play, finding the open Cannady for another three.
He was not flawless, of course — he was foulprone and late on some passes and missed some rebounds. But his presence and performance helped give the summer league’s opening game a big-time feeling and gave Magic fans an early thrill.
ELSEWHERE
Trail Blazers: Point guard Damian Lillard and the team agreed on a $122 million, two-year extension that puts him under contract through the 2026-27 season, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Friday. Lillard, who turns 32 this week, will make about $59 million in 2025-26, then about $63 million the next year, the source said. Lillard will make about $137 million over the next three seasons, before the extension begins . ... Shaedon Sharpe’s first summer league with Portland is over. The No. 7 pick in last month’s draft has been shut down for the remainder of Portland’s stay in Las Vegas because of a small labral tear in his left shoulder. He was hurt in the Blazers’ first game Thursday; he’ll be reevaluated in about two weeks.
Hornets: Reserve guard Scottie Lewis ,a University of Florida product, has undergone successful surgery to repair a broken left leg. He was hurt during a summer league practice in Las Vegas on Thursday. He appeared in two games for Charlotte as a rookie last season.
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