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Tim BontempsESPN
LAS VEGAS — Earlier than his lone season at Duke, Paolo Banchero tattooed a message to himself on his left forearm:
“No force.”
Naturally, the No. 1 pick out in ultimate month’s NBA draft mentioned that whilst he was once excited for his first recreation in an NBA uniform Thursday evening, in a showdown with No. 3 total variety Jabari Smith Jr. within the opening recreation of the NBA’s annual Summer time League in Las Vegas, it wasn’t anything else he was once too considering.
“I were given it tattooed on me,” Banchero mentioned after completing with 17 issues, 4 rebounds and six assists in 25 mins to assist the Orlando Magic beat the Houston Rockets 91-77. “No force, actually.
“So I’ve all the time handled force nicely, been ready to deal with it. And I imply, on the finish of the day, it’s simply basketball. There’s gonna be the entire force, the entire noise on this planet, however on the finish of the day you were given to head available in the market and hoop towards 5 different guys, so it’s like, ‘What in point of fact is it if it’s simply basketball?’”
Thursday’s recreation may had been only a meaningless exhibition in the summer, but it surely didn’t take lengthy for Banchero to blow their own horns probably the most talents that pressured Orlando to make a choice him over Smith with the highest pick out.
Banchero, a 6-foot-10, 250-pound ahead whom many anticipated to be essentially the most ready-to-play NBA prospect, confirmed off a well-rounded aggregate of scoring, passing and rebounding that can make him one of the most favorites to win the league’s Rookie of the 12 months award.
He hit a few 3-pointers — one on a catch-and-shoot alternative at the wing, and the opposite on a hard stepback from the highest of the important thing over Smith’s lengthy palms. He additionally spent a lot of the sport enjoying the position he most likely may have for Orlando this season, necessarily serving because the staff’s de facto level guard. In consequence, he fired off a number of great passes, together with two fast lasers inside of for layup alternatives.
Requested what he was hoping to turn out in Thursday’s recreation, Banchero mentioned, “That I will be a go-to man and be a go-to man and have an effect on successful on the identical time, no longer a man who’s gonna harm the staff.”
“You understand, I believe like I’ve were given the ball in my arms so much, and supply scoring, aiding, rebounding for the staff,” he mentioned. “So simply doing that after which additionally being higher on protection. I feel I did all proper, however I will be much better.”
Smith, alternatively, appeared like any individual who became 19 not up to two months in the past. He had a few great moments offensively, together with two nifty drives at the left-hand aspect of the lane for layups, one in each and every part, and one great catch-and-shoot 3-pointer at the wing.
Another way, he was once in large part quiet. He completed with 10 issues, seven rebounds and 3 assists in 31 mins, as he become the most recent non-guard to fall sufferer to the tempo of summer time league play, when ball-dominant guards have a tendency to regulate play.
“Yeah, I had nerves getting into it,” Smith mentioned. “It was once simply difficult, you already know what I’m pronouncing? Figuring it out. Only a other taste of play, you already know, first NBA recreation. So it was once amusing, however I’m waiting for the following one.”
There’s lots to love about Smith’s recreation, too, together with his top, fast unencumber on his soar shot, which must be just about not possible to contest, given his lengthy palms and 6-foot-10 body. He additionally has fast toes defensively.
As the sport went on, Smith seemed to get extra at ease and were given extra concerned because of this, one thing he admitted after the sport.
Smith added, alternatively, that it’s on him to be extra concerned from the soar transferring ahead.
“I believe like I will have been extra concerned, simply off of me,” he mentioned. “Off of me crashing the offensive glass, off of me discovering extra tactics to get entangled at the offensive finish. However that’s gonna include me finding out the offense, finding out the device. However no, rather then that, I believe like I used to be beautiful concerned. I’ve simply were given to make some open pictures and crash the glass extra.”
In the long run, Thursday evening’s recreation was once simply the summer time league debut for each gamers. Every of them, alternatively, had been satisfied to have their maiden NBA video games beneath their belts.
“Yeah, you gotta pay attention to it, however you simply can’t concern about it an excessive amount of,” Smith mentioned of the eye he and Banchero gained for his or her head-to-head matchup. “You simply gotta cross available in the market and feature amusing and let the remainder care for itself.”
Smith added with a grin: “It’s amusing. I’d fairly or not it’s that manner than the wrong way.”