Under Jamahl Mosely, the Magic have hung tough, battling through injuries to star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
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In his first NBA season, Paolo Banchero was named Kia Rookie of the Year.
In his second NBA season, he earned an All-Star selection while leading the Magic to their first Playoff appearance since 2019-20.
Through one week of Year 3, the 22-year-old star was hinting at another leap, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in five games — including a career-high 50 points in a win over the Pacers on Oct. 28.
But two days later, everything changed.
- “I felt it when it happened,” said Banchero. “Didn’t know what it was but knew it didn’t feel good … was hoping it wasn’t too bad. But obviously, it was a little worse than I thought.”
The injury? A torn right oblique, sidelining the Magic star indefinitely – just as he was getting warmed up.
- “It sucks. There’s no other way to put it,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley days after the injury. “It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, the way he’s carrying us in so many ways…
- “But he is tough. He’s resilient, and this is another opportunity for him to grow in different ways.”
Since then, Banchero has observed from the bench, coaching up his teammates while working tirelessly toward a return.
- “The rehab he’s put in, the time he’s put in, the mental focus he’s had to have this entire time just to stay the course,” said Mosley on Banchero working towards a return. “Knowing that at some point, it was going to happen.”
It could happen tonight, as Banchero had a full practice yesterday and is questionable for Orlando’s game against the Bucks (7 ET, NBA League Pass).
Banchero Boost: With injuries to Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, Banchero’s return provides the Magic with a much-needed scoring lift while keeping their defensive identity.
- Untapped Offense: Orlando averaged 112.2 ppg in Banchero’s five outings this season. In the 34 games without him, its average has dipped to 103.7 ppg – the lowest in the NBA
- Playmaking Catalyst: With Banchero in the lineup, the Magic ranked 17th in assists (25.6 apg). Without him, they rank 26th (23.5)
- Lockdown: The Magic’s top-scoring defense (103.2 ppg) should continue to be a force, as their current DefRtg (106.5) is nearly identical to before Banchero went down (106.9)
Despite their injuries, the Magic hold fourth place in the East. Now, they’ll look to climb even higher with Banchero leading the charge.
