There have been no signs of a sophomore slump for Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero this season, with the 21-year-old out of Duke posting improved numbers offensively across the board. Overall, Banchero is averaging 20.7 points per game in 23 contests this season, while upping his assists per game (4.5, from 3.7), field goal percentage (49.0% from 42.7%) and three-point percentage (38.9% from 29.8%).
Banchero has been a guiding light behind Orlando’s 16-7 record out of the gate this season, with the Magic currently sitting three games ahead of the Miami Heat in the NBA’s Southeast Division and on pace to reach the postseason for the first time since 2020. To get a sense of where Banchero ranks among possible first-time All-Stars, FloridaBet.com used our Florida sports betting mindset and broke down the odds on which NBA rising stars could make it to Indianapolis for the 2024 All-Star Game.
First-Time NBA All Stars in 2023-24 Odds
Last year’s NBA All-Star game featured six first-timers on the roster, so who will be the next? We developed hypothetical odds of which NBA players have the best chance of being a first-timer NBA all-star for the 2024 game. These are odds you may not find on Florida betting apps if they were legal, but information you could use to help you decide how to wager on certain future bets.
Magic’s Banchero Among Top Candidates Among 1st Time ASG Invitees
Banchero’s hot start this season has led to him being listed at +200 to make the ASG in 2024, ranking seventh on our list of possible first-time invitees. Luckily for the second-year star, the Magic’s playoff futures are much rosier, with oddsmakers from ESPN BET giving Orlando -300 odds of making the postseason for the first time in four years next spring. When ESPN BET Florida is eventually up and running, you can expect to see plenty of Orlando Magic heavily featured.
As for Banchero himself, ESPN BET lists the 21-year-old at +7500 to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, ranking well behind leaders like Tyrese Maxey of the Philadelphia 76ers (-125), Alperen Sengun of the Houston Rockets and Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers (+475), but within the realm of possibilities should Orlando keep up their current pace through the season.
For now, Banchero’s top goal is likely set squarely upon beating the 17-5 Boston Celtics on the road on Friday, in a game that the team at ESPN Analytics gives Orlando a 26.9% chance of winning. After that, Banchero and the Magic can start to set their sights on grander things, such as getting the second-year forward into the NBA’s All-Star Game in February.
