The Orlando Magic took Paolo Banchero with the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. On Friday, the Magic completed their preseason. They went 4-1 overall and Banchero performed well during the five games. Here's a breakdown of how he performed in the recent exhibition games leading up to the regular season.
Friday's win against the Cleveland Cavaliers
The Orlando Magic defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to conclude the preseason on Friday evening. The final score in the game was 114-108, a result we tipped. Banchero played 27 minutes, he scored 17 points, and had 5 rebounds in the game.
Earlier this week, Banchero logged 27 minutes for the Magic against the Memphis Grizzlies. He nearly posted a double-double for points and rebounds as he scored 17 and hauled down 9 boards.
Banchero, who is 6'10" and 250 pounds does have some three-point touch, a skill that NBA teams require more and more out of their big men. However, he only had one block during the entire preseason.
The No. 1 pick from the NBA draft is the betting favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award with bet365 sportsbook. He is at 37/20 with that sportsbook, odds that have moved back and forth over the last few days as a volatile market. Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Kings is the second favorite and remains our predicted winner for this voted-on award. He has shortened over the last several days from 11/2 to 5/1, his odds as of late Friday.
What's next for the Orlando Magic?
The Orlando Magic will start their regular season on October 19th. They will travel to Detroit to face the Pistons. The Magic currently have a win total with bet365 of 26.5. So far, Orlando looks a lot better than they did last season when they went just 22-60. It will be interesting to see if Banchero's decent form continues in the regular season.
