Despite coming off a down month, Orlando Magic ahead Paolo Banchero completed a feat on Thursday that just one different participant in franchise historical past has.
Banchero was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for video games performed in February, the league introduced.
The No. 1 choose within the draft, Banchero was second amongst rookies in scoring with 16.6 factors per recreation for the month to go together with 7.5 rebounds (fourth) and three.3 assists (fourth).
He shot 37.4% from the sphere, 3% on 3s and 71.1% on 6.9 free throw makes an attempt per recreation in February for a 44.8% true capturing accuracy — a components that includes free throws and higher-value 3-point pictures.
February was Banchero’s lowest-scoring and least-efficient capturing month, however he nonetheless took house the award after being a major motive why the Magic went 6-5 in February.
Banchero joined Shaquille O’Neal as the one gamers in Magic historical past to be named the league’s Rookie of the Month in three consecutive months.
O’Neal did it 4 straight instances from November 1992-February 1993.
Bancherom O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Mike Miller and Victor Oladipo are the one Magic gamers to be named Rookie of the Month greater than as soon as.
The 9 Magic gamers who gained Rookie of the Month honors are:
- Dennis Scott (March 1991);
- Shaquille O’Neal (4 instances — November 1992-February 1993);
- Penny Hardaway (twice — January and April 1994);
- Mike Miller (twice — February and March 2001);
- Victor Oladipo (twice — December 2013 and February 2014);
- Elfrid Payton (January 2015);
- R.J. Hampton (May 2021);
- Franz Wagner (December 2021);
- Paolo Banchero (twice — December 2022, January and February 2023).
Rookie of the Month was awarded to at least one rookie within the NBA till the 2001-02 season, when the league began giving the glory to at least one rookie from every convention.
Utah Jazz heart Walker Kessler, the No. 22 choose, was named the Western Conference Rookie of the Month.
Banchero has one of the best odds of profitable Rookie of the Year as of Thursday, based on VegasInsider.com.
He’s averaging 19.7 factors, 6.6 rebounds and three.6 assists, main all rookies in scoring and minutes whereas additionally rating third in assists and steals and fourth in rebounding.
The Magic (26-37) shut out their three-game street journey in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets (20-44) Friday at Spectrum Center.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or observe him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com