Could Magic's Paolo Banchero Return by Christmas? Don't Rule it Out, He Says

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero told ESPN's Marc Spears that he feels he could be back by Christmas from a torn right oblique muscle.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) looks on from the team bench during the second quarter of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Orlando Magic at the American Airlines Center. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

When news of Paolo Banchero's torn right oblique first came down, the Orlando Magic first said their star would be sidelined for four-to-six weeks of action.

It'd been a perfect storm. Incidental contact – nothing out of the ordinary – had caught Banchero in the fourth quarter of Orlando's three-point loss at Chicago on October 30. The third-year All-Star immediately knew something was up, and testing the next day revealed the torn oblique muscle.

The team said Banchero would be out 'indefinitely,' noting a return to play would depend on how he responds to treatment. This upcoming Wednesday makes three weeks since the incident, and Thursday three weeks since the diagnosis. Even if Banchero is evaluated at the four-week mark, the calendar will be on the cusp of flipping to December. Six weeks would be be under two weeks to Christmas.

But Orlando's budding superstar is in positive spirits. As part of a season-long documentary series Banchero is doing with Marc Spears of ESPN and Andscape, Banchero has been the subject of one-on-one interviews with Spears this season.

A clip of his latest interview aired Monday on ESPN's daily NBA show, "NBA Today." In it, Banchero publicly expressed his desire for a possible return to action for the first time.

"This isn't from the medical team or anything, but the way I feel and I've been feeling, I think I can get back before Christmas," Banchero said. "Now, if it's around that time and [Magic vice president of player performance and wellness] Arnie [Kander] says, 'Man, no way, you can't go,' then I'll listen. But if he gives me the green light, then imma do it."

"The way I feel and I've been feeling, I think I can get back before Christmas."@Pp_doesit on when he hopes to be back 👀 pic.twitter.com/DsRpTwgY5L

— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 18, 2024

The latest full interview in the series is set to release on Thursday. If you missed the first one, you can check it out here.

Now, it's important to understand the context in which Banchero is speaking from. This is the first major injury of his entire career. Never during his high school, Duke or Magic career to this point did he have to deal with an extended absence due to injury. Having just turned 22 this month, he's certainly eager to return to play and pick back up where he left off from following an impressive start to the campaign. The game before his injury occurred, he'd just notched his first career 50-point game.

Thus, it's important to remember that since Banchero has no prior experience in dealing with an injury like this, he's also never dealt with the eventual rehab that's to come. He's still in a "dead period" of the injury recovery process – he's not stretching, shooting or doing any sort of conditioning because he has to give the muscle time to heal.

So, Banchero will have to have a ramp-up process after it's determined he's clear to return to basketball activities. How long that takes is, again, dependent on his body's reaction to treatment and exertion again.

Banchero is the face of Orlando's future – the prized possession who earned cornerstone status almost immediately upon arrival to the Magic. He's a Rookie of the Year, a first-time All-Star from a season ago, and the small sample size from this season had him on a path toward All-NBA honors. Even last season, he garnered some voting consideration for one of the 15 coveted spots. Because of his extended absence, Banchero almost certainly won't meet the 65-game requirement for award consideration by the season's end, so those honors likely will have to wait for another day.

With that in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise if Banchero's return is slow-played to ensure that he's completely ready upon returning to the court. Orlando has, and still is, learning ways to stay afloat without him on the floor. Importantly, they're still finding results. Banchero will miss his 10th game on Monday night at Phoenix. So far they're 5-4 in games without him, but the schedule is about to get rougher.

Orlando needs Banchero in peak condition not only for this year but for multiple to come. His pending max extension should be a slam dunk this offseason, signifying the importance of his performance and play for this era of Magic basketball and underscoring his already impressive contributions thus far.

So, would the Magic love to unwrap a Paolo Banchero-sized gift under its Christmas tree this winter? No doubt. But there'd be reason to understand why Orlando could delay his return by a few games, ensure he's ready to hit the ground running and let him attack full speed. The last thing Orlando – or Banchero – wants is a re-aggravation or for the injury to linger.

Because the injury is to a muscle in his core, it's at the base of movement he makes. Perhaps the most taxing part of this experience is the patience it requires of Banchero and the team to get back fully healthy.

There's no knocking the enthusiasm, but there's also no knocking the importance of Banchero to Orlando's current and future outlooks.

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