ORLANDO, Fla. — The All-Star weekend couldn’t have come at a better time for Paolo Banchero.
Not only did Banchero get some much-needed rest after going through a midseason slump entering the break, but he also received a morale boost in Salt Lake City after speaking with players he idolized.
Banchero competed in Friday’s Rising Stars tournament and Saturday’s Skills Challenge but he said his favorite part of the weekend was seeing and interacting with current and past stars.
His conversations with Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant and 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony, who’s a free agent, stood out.
“A lot of advice,” Banchero said after Wednesday’s practice. “Exchanged numbers with them. I didn’t know how much they were fans of me. They expressed that to me and it took me back. I left there feeling motivated because of some of the stuff they said to me. Getting validation from them was all I needed to hear.”
When asked what Anthony and Durant told Banchero, he responded, “They really believe I can be the best at this one day.”
“Obviously, it’s not going to be easy,” Banchero added. “It’s not going to just happen. But they see it in me. They believe in me, support me and are fans of me. They’ve been watching from a distance. Stuff that surprised me. When you hear that from guys who are legends and have done everything you want to do in this league, it goes a long way. It was a blessing.”
The validation came at an important time for Banchero, the No. 1 pick in June’s draft.
As good of a season he’s having, with Banchero being the odds-on favorite to win Rookie of the Year, he struggled entering All-Star weekend.
Banchero averaged 16.2 points on 35.4% shooting from the field and 11.1% shooting on 3s to go with 7.9 rebounds and 3.2 assists in his 10 games before the break.
“I can’t say enough how much just that moment helped me out, especially with having a rough stretch,” Banchero said. “Having that being able to lift me up helped a lot.”
The Magic will need Banchero to be at his best over the final 23 regular-season games, especially for their pursuit of a spot in the play-in tournament, with the Magic (24-35) entering Thursday’s home game vs. the Detroit Pistons (15-44) in the race for three of the play-in spots.
The Magic enter their final stretch of the season:
— 5 games behind the Atlanta Hawks (29-30), who fired their coach Nate McMillan on Tuesday, for the No. 8 spot in the East’s standings;
— 4 1/2 games behind the Washington Wizards (28-30) for the No. 9 spot in the East;
— 4 games behind the Toronto Raptors (28-31) for the No. 10 spot.
The Chicago Bulls (26-33 — two games ahead of the Magic) and the Indiana Pacers (26-34 — 1 1/2 games ahead) also are above the Magic in the standings but in arm’s each.
Seeds 7-10 in both conferences compete in the play-in tournament for the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in the playoffs.
“We get to take the last 20-something games and actually play for something,” Banchero said. “Our schedule is not easy these last 20-something games. But we can do it. We can beat anybody in the league. We’ve just got to be locked in and focused as a group.”
