Orlando's Paolo Banchero won't play for a few weeks. The Magic see it as an opportunity for everyone

Paolo Banchero knew thing was wrong. He was amazed to study nan extent.

The Orlando Magic All-Star will miss nan adjacent respective weeks pinch a torn correct oblique, an wounded that happened successful his team’s nonaccomplishment to Chicago connected Wednesday night. The abdominal musculus wounded was diagnosed Thursday, causing Banchero to miss nan crippled Friday successful Cleveland. The Magic return connected nan Cavaliers successful a rematch of an Eastern Conference first-round bid from past season.

“I felt it erstwhile it happened,” Banchero said Friday, speaking pinch reporters successful Cleveland aft Orlando’s shootaround. “Didn’t cognize what it was but knew it didn’t consciousness good. Just tried to play done it, wanted to get it looked astatine aft nan game, was hoping it wasn’t excessively bad but evidently it was a small worse than I thought.”

Banchero was disconnected to a monster commencement — his 29 points per crippled classed seventh successful nan convention entering Friday. He’s 1 of only 3 players who started nan time averaging that galore points on pinch 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game. The others: Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo.

“It sucks. There’s nary different measurement to put it,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It sucks for him, nan measurement successful which he started this year, nan measurement successful which he was playing, nan measurement he’s carrying america successful truthful galore ways. And successful nan aforesaid breath, you person to opportunity it’s an opportunity — it’s an opportunity for guys to measurement up, measurement into their role, opportunity for guys to proceed to play to our modular of basketball.”

The Magic said Banchero will beryllium evaluated successful 4 to six weeks. He referenced nan six-week timeline. If he misses six weeks, that intends he’ll beryllium sidelined for astatine slightest 21 games. It would besides mean he’ll almost surely beryllium ineligible for astir end-of-season NBA awards voting nether nan caller policies that went into effect past season.

“Hopefully, it’s not a multi, three-, four-month injury,” Banchero said. “Hopefully, it’s conscionable six, thing weeks. Just trying to enactment engaged arsenic overmuch arsenic I tin and enactment positive, return it 1 time astatine a clip and beryllium fresh to travel back.”

Banchero had a career-high 50 points connected Monday against Indiana, nan first — and entering Friday, still only — 50-point crippled successful nan NBA this season. The Magic said he was wounded successful nan 4th fourth of Wednesday’s crippled successful Chicago. Banchero, who vanished that nighttime pinch 31 points, was still connected nan level astatine nan extremity of that contest.

He intends to recreation pinch nan squad while sidelined, Mosley said. Banchero will beryllium progressive successful immoderate coaches’ meetings, giving nan 2022-23 rookie of nan year, No. 1 wide draught prime and first-time All-Star past play a chance to spot nan crippled a different way.

“It’s different opportunity for his growth,” Mosley said. “There won’t beryllium arsenic overmuch beingness activity going on, but it’ll beryllium a intelligence type of it. His expertise to beryllium successful immoderate nan coaches’ meetings, to spot nan crippled otherwise from that broadside of nan floor, it’s an opportunity for his maturation successful that realm.”

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