Paolo Banchero

Assuming he wasn’t already a national-scale, household name even before his scintillating showcase throughout last spring’s postseason, Paolo Banchero, on October 28, 2024, designed the performance of a player prepared to catapult his game to an entirely new neighborhood. Fusing the absolute best of his already-elite traits into one, nearly one-of-a-kind masterpiece, Banchero matched the Indiana Pacers’ starters shot-for-shot in the first half, leaving NBA single-game record-holders everywhere sweating after a flamethrowing 37-point demonstration. One possession might feature a bouldering, powerful attack of the rim; others offered more finesse catch-and-shoot finishes. As the 18,846 in attendance would soon discover, approach and location mattered not, as Banchero’s three-level, two-way brilliance positioned the Orlando Magic, ultimately, for a statement victory over a fellow top-tier Eastern Conference contender. Sprinkling everything into the night’s montage, the All-Star forward mixed in heady passing lane interceptions, unselfish feeds to down-the-court teammates, and the matching audacity in rejecting Indiana’s ambitious dunk attempts. By curtain’s close, the quickly-ascending star had concluded with 50 points (on 16-of-26 shooting), 13 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, two blocks, and three 3-pointers, marking him as NBA history’s second-youngest to ever produce a 50-point, 10-rebound, five-assist statline.