When the Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero sank a three-pointer with 8:41 to go in Wednesday’s evening’s game towards the Cleveland Cavaliers, he turned the primary No. 1 total decide to attain 20 factors or extra in his first 5 profession video games since Elvin Hayes in 1968. And for playing lovers, he is additionally gone over the over/beneath of his factors in every of these video games.
Elvin Hayes started his profession with 10 straight 20-point video games after the San Diego Rockets took him first total out of the University of Houston. He had double-digit rebounds in 9 of these video games, and in 78 of his 82 video games his rookie season. Hayes ended up main the league in scoring with 28.1 factors per game, to go alongside with 17.1 rebounds. But he nonetheless misplaced out on the Rookie of the Year award to the No. 2 decide, Wes Unseld, who additionally received MVP. Hayes would group up with Unseld with the Washington Bullets in 1972, and so they’d win an NBA title collectively in 1978.
The solely different No. 1 decide to start out with as many 20-point video games as Banchero was Oscar Robertson, who started his profession with six in a row in 1960. Robertson went on to win Rookie of the Year and common 30.5 factors, 10.1 rebounds and a league-leading 9.7 assists.
However, Banchero would most likely commerce this milestone for a win. Orlando dropped to 0-5 after dropping to Cleveland, 103-92, regardless of Banchero’s 29 factors. Robertson’s Royals went 5-1 throughout his torrid scoring run, and Hayes’ Rockets had been 5-5.
But maybe that is the perfect outcome for Orlando long-term. Great performances from their younger franchise participant, plus loads of losses to protect their probabilities to draft presumptive No. 1 decide Victor Wembanyama subsequent June. The group continues to rejoice Banchero, as a result of what else is there to rejoice while you’re 0-5?
(Note: a stat correction decreased Banchero’s level whole to 29.)
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