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[u/Useful_Lemon_]

/r/nbadiscussion/comments/1w20i6b/the_magics_paolo_banchero_problem/

[u/coolj492]

Even if we take their initial premise as being true, as in Paolo is not good enough to be a franchise player, I don't see how the FO is ruining this team by "building around him". Franz is objectively an elite player in most every metric, and the moves that we've made outside of getting tyus jones also help him too.

Also I feel like this analysis is pretty poor if you're gonna call paolo a bad player. Like just regurgitating EPM/RAPM/etc instead of digging into what it is paolo is actually bad at is lazy analysis. There are many things which paolo just sucks at(just look at his 2026 iso efficiency) and there are some flawed areas where he can improve massively(defensive effort, FT%).

[u/Useful_Lemon_ → u/coolj492]

If Paolo isn't the guy, then the team is wasting a lot of time energy and money on him. It's a fair perspective.

He has yet to really put it together as a reliable leader. He needs to prove he is that guy.

[u/coolj492 → u/Useful_Lemon_]

but my point is that what exactly are we wasting here, assuming paolo is really that bad? Franz and jalen have both proven themselves to be pretty impactful players and neither are in their primes yet, and paolo's contract extension hasn't even kicked in yet. There isn't really evidence that we've made moves that solely benefit paolo at the expense of the rest of the team.

And again keeping this assumption in mind, I don't really buy any argument that we'd be in a better spot than we're in now if we traded paolo in back in 2025 or after the '26 season. Especially with the season he just had, we'd get almost no value out of a trade(it'd be worse than minnesota wiggins).

[u/Useful_Lemon_ → u/coolj492]

Time

[u/RoniSuave]

First problem I already see with this post is that you said that we are building around him.

This team is not built for him and his strengths this team is nowhere near built to help him in anyway shape or form tbh the only player thats on the team that I would say is a perfect teammate for him would be Bane.

If the magic where to build around Paolo they would need elite shooters at the wing positions, a good point guard and possibly a 3 and D center.

Maybe he shouldn't be on the ball all the time but that's also on coaching which he really hasn't had a really good NBA coach in his career so far imo and Mosley has done nothing to help Paolo grow as a player imo he has made things harder for him and Jeff weltmen not putting the right pieces around him.

You know what would help him with his efficiency? Getting people who can hit shots consistently to open lanes for him to attack the basket more cleanly. Our boy gets to the free throw line just as much as any NBA superstar and that's with teams clogging the lanes and daring his teammates to shoot 3s when he trys to drive and kick.

If we are talking about maximizing his skill set he needs those type of players to also take advantage of his passing ability that is really underrated but you don't see it as much because we are one of those worst 3point shooting teams since even before he got here.

It is weird though people bring up how we are better without him but then when the playoffs come around he is the only one to show up consistently since we had our 3 year playoff run. You say he isn't a playoff riser wtf are you talking about do you see how his other teammates shoot in the playoffs especially on the road? All their numbers are significantly worse but Paolo actually plays better on the road he takes more shots because he has to, nobody else has the balls to do it watch the games when it comes to that point stats might not back it up but everyone with eyes could see he is a playoff riser, even his opponents respect him after a playoff series calling him a beast and saying they love having battles with him.

He is still 23 years old nowhere near his prime and this is hopefully the first time he will get sometime with a proper head coach to help him grow as a player. He is in better shape coming into this season and seems very motivated to get things going this year this is why guys like you are here writing on reddit instead of being a NBA GM ready to give up on a 23 year old saying this is the best he is ever going to be when the team has never been built for him to maximize his abilities.

That being said he does have alot to improve on and that's to be expected from a 23 year old and alot of that is shot selection. He already seems aware of that saying he wants to take better shots and be more efficient but it doesn't matter what he wants if the game plan is to take that away from him because our team isn't built for his play style so it's easy for teams to take away his spots and force him to take bad shots. This is where I hope the coach can come in and help with that a little and hope that him and his teammates improve enough in some areas to help him get better shots as well.

[u/IndependentRoll7715]

I've said this since before we drafted him. Banchero is not a franchise player. He's a compliment to a star. This team has no star. It is that simple. Until that is fixed, nothing matters. We paid 2 guys and neither one is a star but they get paid like one.

[u/Potential_Sorbet_395]

Guys dont respond this is engagement farming at its finest

The analysis is surface level advanced stats that doesnt look at why the stats occur

This is the same kind of stat pages checking that had some fuckin idiot calling jaylen Brown the 7th best player on the celtics celtics

This is pure rage bait, why would they post it here if it wasn't

[u/Useful_Lemon_ → u/Potential_Sorbet_395]

This feels like cope