A disappointing night against the Philadelphia 76ers has placed Paolo Banchero under scrutiny at the worst possible time.  The Orlando Magic star failed to rise to the occasion, delivering an inefficient performance. It has ultimately left the team with another must-win scenario. With a do-or-die clash against the Charlotte Hornets looming, the former No.1 pick has tons of eyes on him. Especially, an NBA Champion didn’t question his performance but declared that he’s tired of him.

The sharp criticism came from former NBA Champion turned analyst, Kendrick Perkins. He weighed in with sharp criticisms on Paolo Banchero following the underwhelming display against the Sixers, scoring 18 points on 7-22 FG with the playoffs on the line. Entering the matchup, Banchero was already under a lot of pressure with the growing chatter around his strained relationship with coach Jamahl Mosley. Given his inability to perform under pressure, Perkins made a harsh assessment, openly siding with the Charlotte Hornets ahead of the upcoming clash.

Kendrick Perkins had his own reasons, too. “I’m so sick and tired of Paolo Banchero, and the reason being is because all he’s been doing, he got more excuses than a brother going to jail. All he’s been doing all season long is making f*****g excuse after excuse, throwing his coach under the bus.”

Amid the conversation surrounding Jamahl Mosley and Paolo Banchero’s relationship, a recent report hinted that a Magic star threatened to trade out if the team doesn’t fire Mosley. Notably, the 2025-26 season was the 47-year-old coach’s second-best season in his four-season tenure with the Magic. Perkins further released his frustration on Banchero’s poor performance against the Sixers and questioned the star forward’s accountability.

“You up here trying to get your coach fired, you’re blaming everybody except for yourself.” The former Celtics center further doubled down, stating that the former No.1 had sidetracked from joining the elite young stars. “After the playoff run he had, we f*****g thought that he was going to be up there in the thick of things. We thought he was going to be having a conversation about him, like we’re having a conversation with Anthony Edwards and Wemby. Like him taking that f*****g leap. He has digressed over the last fucking year.”

With two back-to-back postseason experiences, Paolo Banchero showed flashes of greatness. In 12 games, across two seasons, he has averaged 28.0 ppg with 8.5 rpg. However, on both occasions, the rising star couldn’t take his side past the first round.

However, as criticism of Paolo Banchero continued to intensify following the loss, attention soon shifted to his response. This time, he didn’t pass on the blame.

Can Paolo Banchero redeem himself against the Hornets?

Following the loss, Paolo Banchero took on a more accountable tone. Speaking of the upcoming match-up against the Hornets, he said, “They’re playing really well. They’ve kicked out a** this year, so we’ve gotta be ready, I’ve gotta be ready.”

The Hornets enter the matchup with an edge, having defeated the Magic 3-1 in the regular season. In Banchero’s part, he has averaged 19.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and 5.8 apg. It’s a decent number, but he needs to pull up his socks in the upcoming match-up, as the Charlotte side possesses a variety of offensive juice.

The Hornets’ win over the Heat highlighted balanced contributions from Miles Bridges, LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Coby White.

So, in the case of the Magic, Paolo Banchero needs to rise up to the occasion. This exit could cause long-term trouble on the Florida side; they may have to move their muscles to rebuild a team from scratch.