DETROIT, MI- Although the Detroit Pistons (2021: 23-59) and the Orlando Magic (2021: 22-60) finished in 14th and 15th place in the Eastern Conference last season, respectively, both teams underwent massive changes to their roster, in hopes to return to the top of the Eastern Conference. In reference, both teams’ 2022-2023 seasons began as the Magic faced the Pistons in Detroit. In such a tightly contested game throughout, Detroit emerged victorious over Orlando 113-109, but not without seeing Magic rookie Paolo Banchero enjoy a sensational NBA Debut.
In his first career regular season game, Banchero recorded 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks while shooting 11-18 (61.1%) from the field and 5-7 (71.4%) from the free-throw line in 35 minutes of play. As a result of his spectacular NBA debut, Banchero joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and LeBron James as the only other No. 1 picks since 1969 to have at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NBA debut.
“I left a lot of points on the board, like three layups missed, some shots I feel like I could have made, so a lot to work on,” said Banchero, who lead the Magic in Minutes, Points, and Field Goal Percentage on Wedneseday’s season opener. ” But I wasn’t disappointed with the way I played.”
Standing at 6’10” and 250 pounds, Banchero’s physique and his well-rounded combination of scoring, passing, and rebounding have allowed Banchero to fit into Orlando’s Roster comfortably, despite just being 19 years old. As shown by Banchero’s respective stints in the 2022 NBA Summer League (Two Games, 30 MPG, 20.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 6.0 APG, and 2.5 SPG, 40.7% FG, 50.0% Three-Point, 80.0% Free Throw) and Preseason (Four Games, 24.3 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 50.0% FG, 33.3% Three-Point, 94.4% Free-Throw), Banchero has made a seamless transition from College Basketball to the NBA.
It’s worth noting that other players had solid outings for Orlando on Opening Night. Most notably, former 2021 No. 5 pick Jalen Suggs scored 21 points on 8-11 (72.7%) shooting from the field and 4-6 (66.6%) shooting from downtown. Likewise, 2021 No. 8 pick Franz Wagner continued his excellent play from his rookie season, notching 20 points, four rebounds, and five assists in 34 minutes. Fellow Starters Wendell Carter Jr (11/11/1) and Terrence Ross (13/4/1) also pitched in double-digit points, while Bol Bol scored ten points off the bench. Surprisingly, Backup Center Mo Bamba struggled in Detroit, failing to score a single point on 0-5 (0.0%) shooting from the field.
After swinging an offseason trade with Utah to land veteran sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanovic, Detroit immediately saw the transaction pay dividends, as Bogdanovic scored a team-high 24 points while shooting 8-16 (50.0%) from the field and 6-10 (60.0%) from three-point range. Bogdanovic’s sweet shooting touch paired nicely with 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, as Cunningham recorded 18 points and ten assists in 35 minutes of action. Elsewhere, 2022 first-round picks Jaden Ivey (19/4/3/3) and Jalen Duren (14/10/3) also had great NBA debuts, while third-year center Isaiah Stewart finished with ten points and five rebounds.
As a team, Orlando was extremely efficient with shooting the ball, going 42-86 (48.8%) from the field, 11-30 (36.7%) from three-point range, and 14-19 (73.7%) from the free-throw line. In comparison, Detroit went 40-94 (42.6%) from the field, 14-38 (36.8%) from downtown, and 19-24 (79.2%) from the charity stripe. Similarly, Orlando and Detroit didn’t commit too many turnovers, as the two teams combined for just 31 turnovers (ORL 18, DET 13). Both Orlando and Detroit held large leads in Wednesday’s Eastern Conference bout, as the Magic held a 15-point lead, while the Pistons managed a 12-point lead.
Following the four-point loss to the Pistons, the Magic will travel to Atlanta to face the Hawks in search of their first win of the season on Friday Night at 7:30 ET. Meanwhile, the Pistons will fly to New York to play Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and the new-look Knicks on Friday Night at 7:30 PM ET.