Paolo Panchero named NBA Rookie of the Year

There were no surprises in being named the NBA Rookie of the Year. Paolo Panchero, the Italian-American forward for the Orlando Magic, is starting out as a favorite for the award since he was named the No. 1 pick in the past. Draft. His numbers (20 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game) endorse him as a rookies of the year. In second place was Walker Kessler of the Utah Jazz. Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder came in third.

The result of the vote was strong. Panchero was chosen by 98 of 100 media representatives to finish first, receiving 494 points out of a possible 500.

In its first year in the NBA, the Power Forum was the leader of the Orlando franchise, which finished third from last in the Eastern Conference, just outside of hem With a very small staff. He exceeded 20 points on 40 occasions and added over 30 points six times. He is the third Magic player to win Rookie of the Year, after Shaquille O’Neal (1993) and Mike Miller (2001). This last one is Banshiro’s agent.

Banshiro’s adolescence was marked by a dilemma. Before making a final decision about basketball, he combined it with American football. In fact, when he was in eighth grade, at the age of 14, he was named one of the top 50 players his age in both sports. At the age of thirteen, he already measured almost two meters.

Aside from American football, it wasn’t long before the accolades hit the basketball courts and opted for Duke (in North Carolina), a classic of college basketball, where Kyrie Irving, Seth Curry, Jason Tatum, and Zion Williamson played.

His progress seems unstoppable after his election rookies The Year Award, an award representing a player’s career in the NBA and held by players of the stature of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant or Luka Doncic, among others.

The secret of the national team

Panchero was born 20 years ago in Seattle (USA), although his father is Italian-American. Although he has never been to the trans-Alpine country, he obtained an Italian passport in the summer of 2020 and has always expressed his desire to play for Azura. He was 17 at the time, so if he played for Italy, he would do so as a native. According to FIBA regulations, in order for a player not to be considered naturalized, they must have acquired citizenship before the age of 16.

But something seemed to go wrong in 2022 when he was named No. 1 of the DraftIt looks like he will make his debut for Italy at last summer’s Eurobasket. But that was not the case, the coach Gianmarco Buzzico did not include him in the short list and the relationship between Panchero and Pasico cooled. Azura.

A few weeks ago, in conversation with joint heads, he gave up the possibility of deciding the future on behalf of the United States. “I don’t know yet. It’s something they ask me about all the time.”

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