Magic's Paolo Banchero Wins 2022-23 NBA ROY Award over Walker Kessler, Jalen Williams

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero made an immediate impact in his first season in the league, and he has now been named the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year in recognition of his efforts.

The 20-year-old beat out Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler and Oklahoma City Thunder swingman Jalen Williams for the award. Banchero earned 98 out of 100 first-place votes, with Kessler earning the other two. Williams earned 75 second-place votes.

Banchero was the No. 1 pick in this year's draft and quickly established himself as Orlando's go-to option on offense, leading the team with 20.0 points per game while also adding 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

The Duke alum made his mark from his first game, scoring 27 points with nine rebounds and five assists in the season opener. He was the first player to record 25-5-5 in his NBA debut since LeBron James in 2003.

Banchero's best performance came in November when he recorded career highs of 33 points and 16 rebounds, again putting himself in company with James as the only teenagers to record 30 points and 15 rebounds in a game.

Despite his brilliance, the Magic still have to take the next step in their rebuild. They ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference with a 34-48 record, the team's fourth straight losing season and 10th in the last 11 years. Orlando has not made the playoffs since the 2019-20 season.

Williams averaged 14.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field to help the Thunder surprisingly earn a spot in the play-in tournament. Kessler averaged 9.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, and his 72.0 field-goal percentage led the entire NBA while he also ranked fourth in the league with an average of 2.3 blocks.

However, it was clear early on that Banchero was just a level above the pack. His future looks exceptionally bright, and this award is indicative of his chances to become a major star in the NBA.