Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero is set to make his return from an oblique injury as soon as the team’s next game, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.
The likely return date is projected as Jan. 10 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Banchero has been out of action since Oct. 30, just five games into the season.
It was a captivating start for the 22-year-old, averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in those five games. It included a 50-point, 13 rebound, nine-assist performance against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 28.
Much-Needed Firepower
With Franz Wagner out of action because of the same oblique injury as Banchero, Mo Wagner out due to a torn ACL and Jalen Suggs recently going down with back spasms, this is a much-needed boost for the shorthanded Magic.
Wagner was injured on Dec. 6, after which Orlando has gone 6-7. The Magic started the season 16-8 before Wagner went down against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Wagner was also showing he had made a leap this season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 25 games.
The Magic boast the league’s second-best defense and it’s that scrappy, hard-nosed mentality allowing them to stay afloat despite all the injuries.
Different players have stepped up in the absence of the team’s best players, with Cole Anthony the latest to elevate his game in the absence of Suggs.
Anthony had nine points and 11 assists against the Toronto Raptors — the game Suggs got injured. He also contributed 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists in a surprising win over the New York Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back earlier this week.
Standings Watch
Orlando is currently the fourth seed in the East, 2.5 games behind New York and two games ahead of the Bucks.
The Magic have been very strong at home with a 13-5 record, but a mediocre 9-11 on the road. This is a team presumably eager to earn home-court advantage for at least the first round of the playoffs.
Orlando is eyeing a crowded schedule ahead, set to face the Bucks (x2), 76ers, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets during their next five games. Banchero’s return seems to be coming at an ideal time and the Magic will aim to keep vying for a top-three seed over this stretch.
