Paolo

Banchero

The good and the bad of what Banchero can do in the box score were on full display in this game. He recorded a triple-double, but he was really inefficient about doing it. He had been playing efficiently over the last few games, but he wasn’t able to keep it going in this one, which snapped their five-game winning streak and dropped them to eighth in the East. Banchero will have to be more efficient in the play-in tournament against the 76ers on Wednesday in order to advance to the playoffs.

Banchero could’ve probably had a triple-double if he played a few more minutes. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old power forward led the Magic to victory over the Bulls as he was +21 in 27 minutes. He had 14 points on 10 attempts from the field, nine rebounds and seven assists. Banchero and the Magic didn’t have the year they’d hoped for this season, leading to him providing 11th-round per game value.

Banchero led seven Magic players in double figures on Wednesday, with the victory moving Orlando to within a game of Toronto in the loss column for sixth place in the East. The top six teams avoid the Play-In Tournament, which could be critical for the Magic given the recent returns from injury for Franz Wagner and Anthony Black. Orlando has two more games to play in the regular season, starting with the Bulls on Friday.

This type of performance from Banchero was great to see. He was incredibly efficient, which led to Orlando’s third straight win. He had a double-double on Sunday, but before that, he had a four-game stretch where he averaged just 12.3 points. This is the type of player they’ll need him to be if they want to make any noise in the postseason. Banchero has improved as a free throw shooter this season, which was on full display in this game. He still has holes in his fantasy game, but he’s certainly capable of filling up the box score.

After scoring 30 points in a March 26 win over the Kings, Banchero averaged 12.3 points on 34.0 percent shooting in the next four games. He snapped out of that funk nicely on Sunday, recording a double-double as part of a complete stat line. Recording his 25th double-double, Banchero matched his season-high with 16 rebounds.

While the rebounds and assists were solid, Banchero’s overall performance on Wednesday was disappointing. The Magic forward attempted nine shots from the field, the fewest in a game for him since December 23. As well as Banchero played in Tuesday’s win over the Suns, the inability to sustain that production factored into Orlando getting blown out by the Hawks.

Banchero was +12 in the win over the Suns. The 23-year-old power forward was just a rebound and two assists shy of a triple-double in this one. Banchero had four turnovers and averaged 3.8 turnovers per game in March. He provided 11th-round per game value over the last two weeks. The Magic still have three games remaining in Week 23, starting with a matchup against the Hawks on Wednesday.

Banchero wasn’t the only Magic player to perform poorly in the 139-87 loss, but it’s nearly impossible to win a game when your star struggles this badly. He missed all five of his three-point attempts and shot 33.3 percent from inside the arc. Banchero, who played 30 minutes, finished with more turnovers (five) than made field goals (three) in a brutal finish for Paolo and the fantasy managers rostering him. The Magic play four games in Week 23, starting with the Suns on Tuesday.

Banchero has been on a roll recently, having scored at least 30 points in three straight and four of his last six games. Against the Kings, the Magic forward shot 50 percent from the field and also put up quality numbers in rebounds and assists. Over the past two weeks, Banchero has been a third-round player in eight-cat formats, thanks to the combination of improved raw numbers and efficiency. Orlando concludes its Week 22 slate on Sunday against the Raptors.

Though it didn’t help Orlando snap their losing streak, Banchero remained hot for a second straight game. He has averaged 37.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 3.5 triples per game while shooting efficiently in both games. The turnovers have been an issue, but that is expected with this much volume. Banchero has struggled in category leagues throughout his career, but he has been much better during the second half of this season, largely because he is shooting better from the floor and free throw line.