Paolo Banchero out indefinitely with torn oblique

Paolo Banchero out indefinitely with torn oblique

Orlando Magic star forward Paolo Banchero will be out indefinitely with a torn oblique, the team announced Thursday night.

Banchero suffered the injury Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls in a 102-99 loss. He still played 37 minutes, finishing with 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists on 12-of-22 shooting and 2-of-9 from 3-point range.

The third-year wing, who turns 22-years-old on Nov. 12, was playing the best basketball of his career. He was one game removed from scoring a career-high 50 points with 13 boards and nine assists on 16-of-26 shooting and 15-of-22 from the free-throw line. So far this season, the 6-foot-10 big has averaged 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists on 49.5 percent shooting, including 34.4 percent from 3-point range and 64.4 percent from the free-throw line.

According to the report the team released, he won’t be re-evaluated for another four-to-six weeks, so it’s likely that he could miss at least two months with his injury.

The Magic will now have to rely on additional usage from Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, who is off to a very strong start to begin the 2024-25 season. Could we also see more opportunities for rookie Tristan da Silva, who has played just five minutes this season? It’s man up, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s called upon more often than not in the near future.

Regardless, this is very unfortunate news for the Magic, who are off to a 3-2 start to begin the new season. They are in the second game of a five-game road trip against the Cavaliers, Mavericks, Thunder and Pacers, which is a daunting stretch. They return home for five more games followed by nine of their next 11 away from home.

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This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.

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