(EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE 鈥� Orlando Magic rookie and No. 1 overall draft pick Paolo Banchero is doing a periodic diary with The Associated Press this season to chronicle his first year in the NBA. the first since the regular season started. The Magic are an NBA-worst 5-20 through the first 25 games of his rookie campaign. He鈥檚 averaging 21.7 points and 6.8 rebounds.)
I鈥檓 learning.
The first few weeks of my first NBA season, I would say it鈥檚 been a lot of learning, a lot of learning on the floor, off the floor, habits, learning what works, what routine works for me, stuff like that. And then just learning how this league is, how you got to bring it every night. You got to learn how to win. It鈥檚 not just going to be handed to you.
I think I鈥檝e learned that. We鈥檝e all learned that and we鈥檙e doing it the hard way, including me, just being a rookie coming from Duke, coming from always winning my whole life. Now it鈥檚 a little different. I鈥檝e got to learn how to prepare the same way, still have the same love and joy for the game 鈥� and focus on how we can get wins and get competitive.
There is a lot to like here. All the guys are close. We all communicate when we鈥檙e not in the arena or the AdventHealth Training Center. It鈥檚 honestly a great vibe every day around here. It鈥檚 not like guys don鈥檛 speak to each other. It鈥檚 not like there鈥檚 any turmoil. Everything off the court is smooth and everyone likes what we鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 about just kind of trying to figure out how we can bring that camaraderie to the court, to the games and help each other win. And we鈥檝e dealt with a lot of other stuff, injuries and whatnot. We just want to see each other get healthy. Then we can try and build.
It鈥檚 about patience. That鈥檚 the main thing. (EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE: Banchero missed seven games with a sprained ankle.) I had never been injured before. High school, my sophomore year, I had a concussion that kept me out two weeks. But as far as injuries go, I never had any. I hadn鈥檛 missed any game in college. Outside that concussion, I didn鈥檛 miss any games in high school. I just had to learn to listen to my body and be patient. I鈥檓 still not as explosive as I was before getting hurt. I feel like I鈥檝e gotten my wind back pretty much, but just as far as explosion and movement-wise, I鈥檓 still trying to just speed it up and get back into the flow. It鈥檚 a daily process.
There have been good 鈥榃elcome to the NBA鈥� moments. There have been some that weren鈥檛 as good. I had the dunk in my first game. I mean, it was a nice dunk. I think I had one in high school that I would deem better than that one. I鈥檝e never had a dunk where someone tried to take a charge ever in my life. All the dunks I鈥檝e had on people have been when they try and jump to block me. And even a couple of my close friends were like, 鈥榃ow, that was crazy to see.鈥�
I鈥檝e had some moments where you realize, this is what the NBA is like. Whether it鈥檚 and only misses five shots, or my in you learn from all of it. And you realize, 鈥楬ey, I鈥檓 here. I can do this.鈥�
Before the season, I was definitely one of the guys who would say, 鈥楾his is going to happen this season, we can do this and we can do that.鈥� And then you look up and we鈥檙e 5-20. For me, it鈥檚 just a reality check. You can鈥檛 just come into this league and just get wins and have success. You got to work for it. It鈥檚 going to take multiple years.
We know it鈥檚 not going to happen in a week. It鈥檚 not going to happen in two weeks. It鈥檚 not going to happen with one player or one adjustment. This could take one year, two years, three years. It鈥檚 not just an overnight success. We have a working mindset and just knowing that we鈥檙e at the bottom right now, there鈥檚 nowhere to go but up. So, we鈥檒l take the small victories, whether that鈥檚 one win, whether that鈥檚 a good quarter or a good half, and then just move on to the next thing and try and just pile those up and let it continue to grow.
This is a process. And whether it results in immediate wins or not, I just want to see us play better basketball, see myself continue to learn and stay committed. We can鈥檛 let whatever鈥檚 happening discourage us. We鈥檝e just got to keep with it, stick with it, because you never know what can happen. Let鈥檚 come in every day with a fresh mind, fresh soul and just be ready to get better.
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Paolo Banchero, The Associated Press
