Fans absolutely ecstatic as Paolo Banchero leaves Cory Joseph for dead with a ferocious poster dunk despite loss: "That man has a family", "Dude is bullying in his first game", "ROY hands down"
Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero made his mark in the NBA on opening night. The Magic forward threw down a thunderous dunk against the Detroit Pistons. NBA fans were compelled to react to it on Twitter.
The Orlando Magic had their season opener against the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. Both teams are far from contending, but have a lot of young talent. They have the potential to be top-tier teams in the Eastern Conference a few years down the road.
The Magic, in particular, garnered a lot of attention due to the arrival of Paolo Banchero. After wowing crowds at Duke during his college days, Banchero was selected first-overall by the Magic in the 2022 NBA Draft.
After an impressive series of games during the Summer League and preseason, Banchero lived up to expectations last night. The rookie joined some elite company in his regular season debut.
Banchero posted 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He became the first player since LeBron James to post a 25/5/5 statline in his debut.
Banchero also impressed the basketball world with a jaw-dropping dunk. Coming down the left in transition, the Magic forward threw down a thunderous poster over Cory Joseph. The crowd at Little Caesers Arena was left speechless.
PAOLO POSTER🚨PAOLO POSTER🚨
@OrlandoMagic | #MagicTogether https://t.co/QxUfU7JtlR
Here are some of the best reactions to the dunk from fans on Twitter:
PAOLO BANCHERO MY GOODNESS. 🔥🔥🔥🔥
https://t.co/cCMbjCGbiU
@TheHoopCentral Dunk of the Year day one.
@TheHoopCentral That reminds me of D Wade dunk
@TheHoopCentral He just caught a body
@TheHoopCentral Baptized that man
@TheHoopCentral ROY. Baby Melo. Point blank period!
@overtime @BallyMagic Dude went to the rooftop
🏾Take it to the bank 
@overtime @BallyMagic ROY hands down👌🏾Take it to the bank 👌🏾✅💯
@overtime @BallyMagic That knee to the chest hurt me.
@overtime @BallyMagic Damn the dunk, bull got hit with a flying knee 😭😂
@overtime @BallyMagic I know bro got sweat all over him 😂
@ComplexSports PAOLOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! 🔵😈
@BallyMagicPaolo Banchero has arrived. Dude is bullying in his first game.
🎥 @BallyMagic https://t.co/dx64KwwRQQ
Welcome to the NBA, Paolo Banchero https://t.co/skdvYtXjgX
PAOLO BANCHERO THAT MAN HAS A FAMILY https://t.co/1hIAKSwmzY
Banchero's performance garnered a lot of attention from the media. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough to lead the Orlando Magic to a win.
The Magic's season started off on an unsavory note with a 113-109 loss. However, Banchero's performance presents a lot of promise for the team's future.
The Orlando Magic can build around Paolo Banchero
It goes without saying that Paolo Banchero is one of the most talented rookies in this year's draft.
At 6'10", Banchero is armed with a versatile skillset and impressive athleticism. Pairing this with his feel for the game, the Magic forward could develop into a superstar.
This could greatly impact the Orlando Magic and their ability to compete for a championship moving forward. The Magic have quite an interesting complement of talented youngsters at their disposal.
Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs join Banchero to form an impressive young core for the Magic to build around.
It would make sense for the Magic to develop their team around Banchero as the primary option. Banchero has the potential to lead this team into contention in future seasons.
The scope for growth this season is low. However, the Magic will be an interesting young team to follow.