Each offseason, the NBA’s All-Access series gives outsiders a behind-the-curtain peek at how some of basketball’s stars spend their time in the offseason.

For Orlando Magic rising third-year forward Paolo Banchero, that process has involved a lot of work on the court in preparation for what he believes is another breakthrough season.

The latest episode of the series displays the former No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft working out at Coach John Thompson Jr. Court in New York City with Pro Hoops head trainer Ross Burns.

WATCH: All-Access: Paolo Banchero’s Offseason Workout

“My parents just did a good job of, when I was really young, just introducing me to sports and showing me that you can’t just play the games, you know,” Banchero said in the video. “You have to actually practice and work on your skills every day to get better.

“Them teaching me that, I think I just learned as a young kid that if I wanted to go be great and go to the NBA like I always dreamed of, I was going to have to put in the work every day.”

In just his second season, Banchero averaged 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists – good for the first All-Star appearance of his career and spearheading the Magic’s drive back to postseason basketball.

In his playoff debut, he was at another level, averaging 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 4.0 assists a game. But Orlando leaned on its point forward heavily, and he played over 37 minutes a game.

Ultimately it wasn’t enough, as the Magic fell in seven games to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round – extending Orlando’s drought of not advancing beyond the first round of a playoff series to 14 years. The Magic were right there, holding an 18-point lead in the hotly contested final contest of the series.

Banchero reasons that the young team he leads, in the first dosage of playoffs for nearly the entire roster – including himself –, ran out of gas and let the opportunity slip.

With that fresh in his mind all summer, Banchero’s consistent desire to improve had new fuel added to the fire.

“That playoff series, that loss that we took, that’s been my whole motivation really this summer. I think we played well enough to win that series,” Banchero said. “I just think we ran out of gas, including myself. I felt myself in that Game 7, especially toward the end of the game, running out of gas a little bit.

“I feel like that’s the next step for me, is not feeling that and being in even better shape, being better conditioned to go all the way through the first round, and then advance to the next rounds too.

“I think that experience, it just helped me realize what it takes to make it all the way. I think that was my first step, and this year, I’m trying to take another step toward that.”

Banchero and company won’t have to wait too much longer before they get back to work – training camp picks up beginning Oct. 1, just 10 days from now.

There’s certainly no lack of motivation among the emergent Magic’s franchise centerpiece.

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