ORLANDO, Fla. — After winning NBA Rookie of the Year in 2023, young forward Paolo Banchero is representing Team USA at this month's FIBA World Cup.
In his first appearance for the team under national team coach Steve Kerr, Banchero flashed a potential new role that could transfer over to Orlando in Year Two.
Locked On Magic host Philip Rossman-Reich discussed the experimentation with Banchero in a recent episode of the podcast.
“They want to move him around because he’s a player that can play anywhere," Rossman-Reich explained. "We wanted to see the Magic do what they promised with all this versatility … but Team USA is going to try (it) first.”
Banchero also played forward and got scoring opportunities against Puerto Rico in Team USA's first exhibition, but the use of him as a center is particularly informative because it stretches the limits of what Banchero can be as a pro.
“Teams know that he is a physical presence," Rossman-Reich said. "And in this setting … the speed that he brings, the quickness at that position could very well become an advantage.”
However, the limitations around his defense as an interior player show that Banchero has more growth to come before he can be a real threat as a small-ball center.
“When Banchero was involved in the play, he was very confident in what he was doing," Rossman-Reich explained. "When he wasn’t on the ball, the effort was there but defensive attention to detail was not always there.”
As Team USA continues to compete in exhibitions and eventually travels to South Asia for the World Cup, Banchero will continue to get playing time in this new environment and grow as an athlete.
“We saw enough to continue it," Rossman-Reich said. "Overall for Paolo Banchero it was a solid but not spectacular showing.”