Paolo Banchero Settling In With The Magic

#1 NBA Draft pick (he should put that on his business cards) Paolo Banchero is settling in to the NBA and one of the first questions he was asked was to compare Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley to his coach at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski.

Hilariously, he said this: “They’re both great teachers. Obviously Coach Mose is a lot more able to get on the floor and demonstrate things.” Banchero is, when you get down it, a curious blend of naïveté and confidence. He’ll find a balance soon.

The comparison is fair enough; Mike Krzyzewski was 75 when he retired and Banchero got to Duke a long time after Coach K liked to demonstrate, say, how to take a charge. With a famously bad back injury and two artificial hips, the man is not taking charges anymore. But you get the sense that he wouldn’t mind doing it if he could.

For their part, the Magic seem pretty impressed with their new addition. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said this about Banchero: “He was playing his best ball when it most mattered. We feel that as he grows and as his body evolves, he will be ready for playoff basketball.”

We got a sense of just how good Banchero could get this season. Watching him develop in the NBA is going to be a great pleasure.