Magic 91, Rockets 77: Paolo Banchero makes strong first impression in debut

Call it a small sample size, a rush to judgement, a way-too-early analysis, something that should be taken with a grain of salt, an overreaction, or any other related phrase suggesting we shouldn’t read into what we just saw.

But, at least for one night - the very first night - Paolo Banchero looked very much like a player who was worthy of being selected with the first overall pick.

Very much like the type of player the Orlando Magic have not had in a long time.

The 19-year-old shined during his Summer League debut, leading the Magic to a 91-77 victory over the Houston Rockets on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

The disclaimer, of course, is that it’s just Summer League. Just hours prior, I myself…