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The NBA is stacked with a whole generation of rising young stars, and Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is one of them. In just four seasons with the Magic, he has proven himself as their most important player with a solid all-around game and consistent, mature leadership on the floor. Despite his star status, Paolo has never been marketed or celebrated the same way as some of his peers, and we’re finally understanding why. With a special mention to Zion Williamson and Cooper Flagg (fellow No. 1 overall picks), Banchero explained how the COVID-19 pandemic forever changed his standing across the league, and how it has yet to fully recover. “Both of them (Zion and Flagg) are great players, and all the hype they get is very warranted. I think my situation was a lot different,” said Paolo on ‘Dawg Talk’. “I came up during COVID, and I think that had a big effect. I didn’t get a senior year of High School, really. My whole senior year of High School was online. High School was shut down. No one from my class really got that hype. It was Chet and I really, but COVID kind of clouded all that. We didn’t get a McDonald’s All-American Game.” Paolo was part of the 2022 draft class, being selected with the first overall pick. Coming from Duke, public opinion was high on Banchero, but not nearly to the degree it usually is for No. 1 picks. Zion Williamson and Anthony Edwards, for example, were the top selections leading up to Paolo’s class, and both were treated like future MVP candidates. Paolo, too, might have gotten a similar treatment had the COVID shutdowns never transpired. His draft class was the most affected by the pandemic, having their senior year shut down and their college season headlined by a raging health crisis. Paolo never got to play in the famed All-American game, and it’s just one of the many experiences he missed out on during his transition to the league. In the end, Banchero will never know just how much the pandemic affected his career, but he’s hardly the only player who had to adjust. The entire NBA was in a weird state during that stretch, which included a suspended season, a quarantine bubble, and months of empty arenas after the initial breakout. The Lakers, who won the title in 2020, even had to forgo their championship parade to comply with quarantine rules. With averages of 22.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 44.9% shooting, Banchero has made the most of his circumstances, but he can’t help but feel that the pandemic took something that he’ll never get back. It doesn’t help that the Magic haven’t been too competitive in the years that followed, giving the fans little reason to pay attention to what he’s been doing. Going forward, though, Banchero has the power to change the status quo. After so many promising signs, there’s reason to believe that Paolo is in for his best season yet, and it could finally get him the recognition he feels is long overdue.