Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is a star in the making, if he's not already there yet.
The Seattle native was two votes shy of winning the 2023 Rookie of the Year award unanimously (Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler received both of those votes) and made his first All-Star appearance the very next year. And if injuries didn't derail him last season, he likely would have made another appearance as he averaged 25.9 points on 45.2% shooting, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 46 games.
Banchero just turned 23 years old, yet he's already playing at a high level. He is one of the best young forwards in the entire league, and it's easy to see why the Magic drafted him first overall in 2022. And as Orlando looks to establish itself as a legitimate contender in the East, it will continue to rely on the Duke alum to lead the way.
However, Banchero still has his flaws. And arguably his biggest one? His lack of consistent ball movement, which is something Indiana Pacers fans see a lot out of Bennedict Mathurin, who has the same problem.
Paolo Banchero and Bennedict Mathurin are "ball-stoppers"
Banchero's role in Orlando is completely different from Mathurin's role in Indiana. Even so, they still share one major similarity that can cause problems for the team in the long haul, and it's their reliance on holding onto the ball perhaps a little too much.
For the Magic, Banchero's lack of ball movement somewhat makes sense. He is pretty clearly their best player (no disrespect to Franz Wagner, though), and he is a fantastic iso scorer. But unlike in years past, he actually has a solid supporting cast around him, especially after Desmond Bane's arrival.
Having your top player be someone who focuses too much on creating his own shot can backfire greatly (this is a big reason the Carmelo Anthony-New York Knicks era was a bit underwhelming). The Magic are a young team with a lot of potential, but they may have a Banchero problem that could lower their ceiling.
Over the past couple of seasons, many have said the same about Mathurin in Indiana. He's not the team's best player and likely never will be, but he is still a crucial part of their success. Like Banchero, the Canadian native relies heavily on creating his own shot and putting the ball on the ground, potentially ruining Indiana's offensive rhythm.
So why does all of this matter? Because the best teams in the league mostly focus on ball movement.
Sure, the Oklahoma City Thunder certainly utilize a lot of isolation plays with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but he has also averaged 6.3 assists per game across the past three seasons. And the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets, the two NBA champions before them, were known to be among the best in the league at moving the ball around.
The Magic and Pacers should be in a good position for a long time. But it's clear that they have some problems to address in order to maximize their potential.