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Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero Out Indefinitely With Significant Injury
One of the NBA’s most exciting young teams has just lost its best player for an indefinite duration.
All-Star Orlando Magic power forward Paolo Banchero has suffered a torn right oblique muscle, Orlando announced in a press statement (via NBA insider Marc Stein).
The 21-year-old had just reached another level on offense this season before being felled by a major ailment. On Tues. night, in a 119-115 victory against the Indiana Pacers, submitted his first-ever 50-point game.
Banchero achieved that 50-point outburst on an efficient 16-of-26 shooting from the field (3-of-9 from beyond the 3-point arc) and 15-of-22 shooting from the charity stripe. He was also one assist shy of a triple-double, having nabbed 13 rebounds and nine dimes. Banchero also submitted two blocks and a steal in a well-rounded two-way game.
He hurt the oblique the next night, during a surprise 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Now, he’ll have to wait at least a month to even be re-examined, as the Magic detailed.
“Banchero will be out indefinitely and his return to play will depend on how he responds to treatment,” the Magic’s press statement revealed. “He will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks. Banchero suffered the injury during the fourth quarter of Orlando’s game at Chicago on Oct. 30.”
The 6-foot-10 combo forward was the No. 1 overall pick by Orlando in the 2022 NBA Draft. He made an instant impact, earning Rookie of the Year honors for the Magic that season. Last year, he took the leap to All-Star level while guiding Orlando back to the playoffs, alongside fellow bright young star forward Franz Wagner. In 80 games, Banchero averaged 22.6 points on .455/.339/.725 shooting splits, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.6 blocks.
The Magic finished with a 47-35 record in 2023-24, good for the Eastern Conference’s No. 5 seed. Orlando subsequently fell in a hotly contested seven-game first round series to the older, wiser, No. 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.
After poaching 3-and-D veteran shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope from the Denver Nuggets in free agency this offseason, the Magic appeared poised to take the next evolutionary jump in a crowded East this year. Banchero also seemed to be on the cusp of stepping up from All-Star caliber to All-NBA caliber. Through his first five games, the former Duke Blue Devil is averaging a career-high 29.0 points (on .495/.344/.644 shooting splits), 8.8 rebounds, 5.6 assists, and 0.8 blocks, along with 0.6 steals for the 3-2 Magic.
Banchero’s athleticism, size, strength and tenacity have made him something of a matchup nightmare on offense, despite a below-average 3-point shot. He’s got the size of Giannis Antetokounmpo or Jayson Tatum, though he’s not quite at those All-NBA league champions’ level as a man-to-man defender just yet.
This injury news is disappointing, but it will give Banchero’s supporting cast — especially Wagner — an opportunity to take on more scoring responsibilities and hopefully grow their game a bit while their best player recuperates. If the Magic can weather the storm of Banchero’s absence, they really might be a threat to make a deep playoff run in the East this spring.
More news: Injury-Riddled Former Top Draft Pick Talks Career Comeback with Magic
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