LeBron James praises No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero: ‘He has been exceptional’

ORLANDO, Fla. — It was a matchup circled on the calendar for Paolo Banchero with the Orlando Magic hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The result wasn’t what Banchero wanted, but the top pick earned quite a bit of praise from James afterward.

James scored a team-high 28 points, seven rebounds and five assists to lead the Lakers to the 129-110 win. Russell Westbrook produced his third triple-double of the season off the bench with 15 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a four-game losing streak.

The Magic had won eight out of their last nine games, but trailed by double digits for much of the contest and never really challenged. The Lakers, who are last in 3-point shooting with 10.2 makes per game, shot 17-of-43 from beyond the arc.

Banchero, the Magic’s leading scorer at 21.7 points per game, was held to a season-low four points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal. He battled foul trouble and was whistled five times in only 22 minutes. It was only the second time this season the 20-year-old failed to score in double figures. He previously had a season-low nine points on Dec. 3 in a loss to Toronto.

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said it is a learning moment for him.

This is one of those moments that may not have gone great for the numbers-wise, but these are lessons to learn and these are the experiences that all young players are going to have to go through. He can look back and reflect on these situations and we can look back and reflect on these situations as a team to continue to get better.

Banchero has largely played with poise and a maturity that has extended well beyond his years. He has drawn praise throughout the season from the likes of Jayson Tatum, Draymond Green and others, and James was the latest to weigh in on the top pick.

He has been exceptional, playing great ball. A three-level scorer so far in this league — in the paint, midrange and from outside pretty well as of late. He is only going to get better and better. Every game he’ll get better and better, every film session he’ll get better and better. All of these experiences are really good for him on a game-to-game basis.

Said Westbrook: “He is going to be a hell of a player.”

Banchero is averaging 21.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 28 games. He leads the rookie class in scoring and field goals (195), and is second in double-doubles (6) and third in assists. He is 11th in the NBA in free-throw attempts (218).

The hot start has Banchero pegged as the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. He would be only the third player in team history to win the award (Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Miller) as Banchero looks to be another draft home run by the organization.

“They definitely have a really good one,” James said. “He is a great kid, too. Another great one here in Orlando once again. They’ve had some really, really good picks in their drafts. You look at Shaq, you look at Dwight (Howard) — they’ve done really well.”