Not being named an All-Star earlier this season caused Orlando Magic star forward Paolo Banchero to look in the mirror.
Instead of feeling like he was snubbed, Banchero analyzed his own game and got brutally honest with himself.
“I’m always honest with myself,” Banchero said, via Andscape. “I looked in the mirror first. Over the All-Star break, I watched a lot of film over the early part of the season. I just wasn’t happy with what I put out. Some of that had to do with me being injured and coming back.”
Banchero’s confidence wasn’t shaken by not being named an All-Star, but it was a bit of a wake-up call for the Duke product to step his game up.
“I could’ve had a better mindset, and that was part of it. But I know I’m an All-Star in this league,” Banchero said. “My confidence is still the same. It’s about being honest with yourself and realizing that you didn’t really deserve to be an All-Star, honestly. It’s about taking that with a grain of salt and being better in the second half of the season.”
Banchero played in 80 games and was named an All-Star during his second season in the league, and it seemed like it would be all up from there.
But, he was limited to just 46 total games last season due to a torn right oblique and missed a chunk of games earlier this season due to a groin strain. Those injuries seemed to stall his momentum a bit. But, he’s getting back on track.
Since the All-Star break, Banchero has been averaging 26.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per performance. Those totals are all elevated from his pre-All-Star numbers.
So if anything, it seems like Banchero has done a good job of channeling any lingering anger or disappointment about not making the All-Star team into productive play. Now, the task will be for him to sustain his high level of play as we move closer to the postseason.
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