LAS VEGAS, NEVADA- Although Thursday’s NBA Summer League Game between Orlando and Houston may have just been a meaningless exhibition game, it didn’t take long for 2022 No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero to display his superb two-way talent against 2022 No. 3 pick Jabari Smith’s smooth shooting touch. Ultimately, Banchero’s Summer League Debut proved to be too much for Houston, as the Magic defeated the Rockets 91-77. In just 25 minutes, Banchero notched 17 points, four rebounds, and six assists while shooting 5-12 (41.7%) from the field and 2-3 (66.7%) from three-point range in the impressive win. Despite this contest being Banchero’s first game against NBA-level talent, Banchero wasn’t fazed by increased expectations and pressure put on him.
“So I’ve always dealt with pressure well, been able to handle it. And I mean, at the end of the day, it’s just basketball” Banchero said following the Summer League Win over Houston. “There’s gonna be all the pressure, all the noise in the world, but at the end of the day you got to go out there and hoop against five other guys, so it’s like, ‘What really is it if it’s just basketball?'”
Standing at 6’10” and 250 pounds, Banchero’s physique and his well-rounded combination of scoring, passing and rebounding allowed Banchero to fit in comfortably in the Summer League, despite just being 19 years old. In fact, Banchero even served as Orlando’s de facto point guard, as he fired off several passes, including two dimes that led to layup opportunities by his teammates.
“You know, I feel like I’ve got the ball in my hands a lot, and provide scoring, assisting, rebounding for the team,” Banchero said. “So just doing that and then also being better on defense. I think I did all right, but I can be a lot better.”
Banchero wasn’t Orlando’s only player that had a nice showing on Thursday, however. Orlando’s 2022 Second Round Pick Caleb Houstan led the Magic in scoring, posting 20 points on 7-12 (58.3%) shooting from the field and 5-9 (55.6%) shooting from three-point range. Like Houstan, 2021 G-League Finals MVP Devin Cannady was an efficient scorer for Orlando, as Cannady notched 15 points while shooting 4-10 (40.0%) from the field and 3-8 (37.5%) from downtown. Finally, three-year Guard R.J. Hampton made a nice impression in the Magic’s first Summer League Game, as Hampton totaled 25.4 minutes, 11 points, 11 rebounds, and two assists along with a 36.4% shooting clip from the field.
While Banchero had a solid NBA Summer League Debut, the same can’t be said for Smith. In 31 minutes, Smith only posted 10 points, seven rebounds, and three assists while shooting 4-10 (40.0%) from the field and 1-4 (25.0%) from downtown. It’s also worth noting that Smith committed five personal fouls during Thursday’s contest, which led the Rockets.
“Yeah, I had nerves coming into it,” Smith said when asked about his disappointing Summer League Debut. “It was just tough, you know what I’m saying? Figuring it out. Just a different style of play, you know, first NBA game. So it was fun, but I’m ready for the next one.”
Despite the 14-point loss, Houston’s other young players showed plenty of promise throughout the contest. Second-year Guard Josh Christopher led the Rockets with a team-high 22 points and three blocks, along with one rebound and one assist in 24.7 minutes. In addition, No. 17th pick Tari Eason notched an impressive double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds in 25 minutes, while making a team-high two three-point shots. Lastly, TyTy Washington (No. 29 pick) played well in his first bit of summer league action, recording seven points, four rebounds, and three assists in 27.6 minutes.
From a team-by-team comparison, both Orlando and Houston struggled to find their shot. As a team, the Magic shot just 29-74 (39.2%) from the field, 14-33 (42.4%) from downtown, and 19-24 (79.2%) from the free-throw line. Houston wasn’t much better than Orlando, as the Rockets shot 26-67 (38.8%) from the field, 9-31 (29.0%) from three-point range, and 16-23 (69.6%) from the charity stripe. Both teams also struggled with committing Turnovers and Personal Fouls, as Orlando totaled 10 Turnovers and 25 Personal Fouls, while Houston notched 13 Turnovers and 26 Personal Fouls.
Both Orlando and Houston will compete in their second Summer League game on July 9th. Banchero and the Orlando Magic will face the No. 4 pick Keegan Murray and the Sacramento Kings (0-0) at 4 P.M. ET. Shortly after, Smith and the Houston Rockets will go up against the No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1) at 8 P.M. Both Summer League games will be available to view on ESPN and the ESPN+ App.