Magic’s Paolo Banchero sidelined indefinitely with oblique tear: How Orlando is adapting

All-Star forward Paolo Banchero, one of the NBA’s rising stars, has suffered a torn right oblique muscle and will miss an extended period of time, the Orlando Magic announced Thursday evening.

Team officials said Banchero will be reevaluated in four to six weeks. He suffered the oblique injury during the fourth quarter of the Magic’s loss Wednesday night in Chicago, and tests performed Thursday in Cleveland revealed the extent of the injury.

Banchero’s injury comes after he scored 50 points in the Magic’s win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

His injury is a potentially crushing blow for the surging Magic, who reached the first round of the playoffs last spring and were poised to make another leap this season with Banchero, their leading scorer, starring. Banchero’s absence could prevent Orlando from securing a place in the top six.

Last season, when Banchero played in 80 regular-season games, the Magic finished No. 5 in the East.

Banchero, the 2022 No. 1 pick, is the key piece in a highly regarded young core that includes forward Franz Wagner, guard Jalen Suggs and a deep bench. With Banchero out, the Magic will have to rely on the scoring of Wagner, Suggs and the rest of their tight-knit roster, as well as the defense, which finished third in the league in points allowed per possession last season.

Sustainability has been one of Banchero’s strengths. He played in 152 of Orlando’s 164 regular season games during his first two seasons.

How will Banchero’s absence hurt the most?

It’s hard to overstate how much Orlando depends on Banchero for his offense. For a 6-foot-5 power forward, Banchero is responsible for an inordinate amount of shot creation – not just for himself but for others as well.

Wherever he has the ball, he is such a threat that opponents often collapse to him, leaving one or more teammates open. As important as Banchero’s 29 points per game are for Orlando, it’s also necessary to note that Banchero has assisted on nearly 28 percent of teammates’ shots made this season, according to advanced analytics database Cleaning the Glass. That’s a sky-high assist rate for an NBA great, and it speaks to the gravitas Banchero creates, as well as his unselfishness, passing ability and court vision.

Despite all that Banchero has to offer, the Magic struggled to score in the halfcourt last season. Through Wednesday, Orlando ranked a much-improved 15th in the league in points scored per possession. Now that improvement will be tested.

Wagner already plays an important role as a playmaker, and that role will certainly increase now. Suggs, who is nominally called a point guard, needs to step up as a shot maker himself.

Is there a silver lining?

Eh, for the most part no. Banchero does That well, and what makes this injury feel even more like a blow to the Magic is that he seemed poised to improve on his All-Star season a year ago.

But above all, the Magic are a defensive-oriented team. While Banchero is an underrated defender, his absence shouldn’t hurt the Magic much defensively (unless the Magic miss more shots and therefore give opponents more opportunities to push the ball upfield).

Coach Jamahl Mosley still has a host of defensive assets, including Suggs, Wagner, wing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, forward Jonathan Isaac, big man Wendell Carter Jr. and reserve guard Anthony Black.

The Magic will have to lean on their defense even more than in the past and perhaps place more emphasis on pushing the ball forward (and getting shots in before opponents set their defense) than they had when Banchero was healthy.

Mosley has plenty of options for his starting lineup. Maybe he’ll use Isaac as a starting power forward. Perhaps Mosley will bring sharpshooter Caleb Houstan into the starting lineup to create space. Mosley could also move Carter to the four and start Goga Bitadze in the middle.

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(Photo: Jim Rassol / Imagn Images)