Paolo Banchero came off the bench to give the United States an offensive spark after a slow start.
— When Paolo Banchero got off the bus Tuesday morning at the team hotel in Manila, he was cradling a FIBA basketball, which had been his carry-on for the 10-hour flight from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The softer but bouncier ball frustrates many NBA players, and like a running back trying to stop fumbles, Banchero was trying to spend some extra time with the rock.
The Orlando Magic star has been putting in extra shooting work after practice with Chip Engelland, Team USA’s shooting coach, and also working with the Oklahoma City Thunder assistant before games. He was quite proud that he made his first two 3-pointers with Team USA in the third quarter in Saturday’s win against New Zealand. But he was probably more relieved he made 3-of-5 free throws in his 21-point performance off the bench. The ball has been bothering him from the line, where he was 2-of-10 in the warmup games.
Coach Steve Kerr is clearly a fan of Banchero and has given him a big role as a backup center who initiates the offense on rebounds.
