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How a 5-20 slump helped turn the Magic into one the NBA's most surprising teams

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Paolo Banchero quickly learned how harsh life in the NBA can be.

The 2022 draft's No. 1 pick, Banchero immediately produced on an individual basis, putting up points in bunches and setting himself on a path that eventually led to him to the league's Rookie of the Year award.

As a team, though, the Magic struggled. They lost their first five games, then had a nine-game losing streak that left them with the NBA's worst record -- 5-20 -- on this day one year ago.

"The losses we took early kind of killed the rest of our season," Banchero told ESPN.