ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic rookie forward Paolo Banchero will likely be sidelined for at least one more week because of his sprained left ankle.
Banchero, who’ll miss his fifth consecutive game because of the injury in the Magic’s road game against the Bulls on Friday, didn’t travel with the team to Chicago on Thursday.
He told the Orlando Sentinel ahead of Wednesday’s home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves that his ankle had progressed but he was still experiencing soreness, adding that it was his first time injuring it.
His return will ultimately depend on how he responds to rehabilitation and treatment, but he expects to be sidelined for at least another 1-1 1/2 weeks.
After the matchup against the Bulls, the Magic will play the Pacers in Indianapolis on Saturday and Monday.
Their first game after Thanksgiving will be against the Philadelphia 76ers on Nov. 25 at Amway Center.
Banchero, the No. 1 pick in June’s draft, was originally added to the team’s evening injury report on Nov. 8 after rolling the ankle on a drive to the basket with 2:51 remaining in the home loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 7.
He did finish the game but experienced significant soreness the following day.
Banchero practiced Saturday, with coach Jamahl Mosley saying, “He went through all the drills we put forth for him.”
When asked if Banchero experienced soreness after going through those Saturday drills, Mosley responded, “Yeah, I think guys really do respond differently to what they’re going through with the rehab side of things.
“That’s why we always talk about not putting timelines on things,” Mosley added. “Guys respond differently as they go through things. This being his first real ankle injury for a young guy, we want to make sure we’re going about it the right way and the smart way as he goes through his rehab.”
Banchero is averaging a team-high 23.5 points, which is the most among rookies, to go with 8.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34.6 minutes (11 games).
