Magic's Paolo Banchero, Now 'Healed,' Getting Closer to Return from Injury

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero's torn right oblique muscle is "healed," he told reporters in the locker room before Friday's game. He hopes to return in the next couple weeks.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) dunks the ball against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. — Friday afternoon, the Orlando Magic's injury report included a small change in Paolo Banchero's injury designation that carries much larger implications.

The Magic's leading scorer had been sidelined with a torn right oblique for 27 games — since Oct. 31. But ahead of the New York Knicks game Friday, his 28th consecutive absence officially came because of a new reason: "Return to competition reconditioning."

On Friday night, as Banchero spoke with reporters before the game, it became evident that he wasn't aware of the change in status.

"Wait, what was that?" he asked. When he was made aware of the official change, the 22-year-old All-Star lit up: "Oh okay okay. That's what's up.

"I would say that's about where I'm at, for sure," Banchero continued. "Just been doing a lot of rehab and a lot of ramping up, just trying to get my body back to playing shape. Obviously, I had to sit 30-plus days without really doing much. So, I just had to kind of get my body back in that mode and I'm still in the process of that."

For Banchero, who had never been through a significant injury in his career before this one, this process takes on the feeling of a second training camp. But the torn right abdominal muscle is "healed," he said, and he hopes to take the floor again with the Magic within the next couple of weeks.

Regarding what he's done so far, Banchero said he's starting to go full speed, closing out, dribbling, and doing reps under fatigue in an effort to get his body back into shape.

"It's a big step, I would say," the former No. 1 overall pick said. "It's been really fun just challenging myself, then also getting that feeling back, feeling my skills again and getting up and down, you know. It feels good to be back.

"I'm just looking forward to these next, you know, week, two weeks of just doing the same thing, ramping up and seeing where I'm at," he added.

Chicago Bulls forward Julian Phillips (15) defends Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half at United Center. / David Banks-Imagn Images

As for the steps he's yet to accomplish, Banchero said he hasn't participated in 5-on-5 live scrimmaging — something he'll do "some more of" in the coming days. He also hasn't yet dunked a basketball, but he's hopeful he can start doing that within the next week.

Of the few silver linings this time presented, Banchero said his upper-body injury afforded him time off his feet.

"My legs feel amazing," Banchero said. "Coming back, you want your legs to be under you, and my legs definitely feel very good. So, now it's just training my body to be able to take impact in the spot where the muscle was torn."

Added Banchero: "Just getting my brain back [used to] taking hits and dealing with that, because whether I experience some soreness or maybe a little shock when it does get contact, just my brain being able to overcome that."

Following up on a Rookie of the Year award in year one and All-Star nod in year two, Banchero was out of the gates quickly in his third season. Albeit a small sample size, his 29 points a game was among the league's best through five games, including the season's first 50-point performance two nights before his oblique tear. That scoring line plus nearly nine rebounds and six assists also included career-best efficiency numbers.

A year after becoming the youngest-ever player to lead a team in points, rebounds and assists, he was again doing so at the time of his injury. When he was resigned to the sideline, Orlando's focus then turned to somehow filling that void.

Fourth-year forward Franz Wagner stepped up, elevating his game to All-Star level: 26.1 points per game with 6.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists in Banchero's absence. But after 20 games, lightning struck a second time when Wagner suffered the exact same injury a week into December.

"I had a bad feeling being on the bench that game when I saw him holding his side," Banchero said. "It looked kind of eerily similar to how I felt in Chicago."

Philadelphia 76ers forward KJ Martin (1) defends a shot from Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Banchero told Andscape and ESPN's Marc Spears that he could recall the exact play where his injury occurred. Wagner, however, is unaware when his incident happened — other than knowing it came in the second half of the Magic's Dec. 6 game at Philadelphia.

"When the news came out, I was hurt for him because he was playing so well and the team was doing great," Banchero said. "For the team as a whole, for me to go down five games into the season and be out for an extended period of time, then for them to start playing really well, Franz to step up, and then him go down with the same injury, is tough."

Through all of that, the Magic still find themselves treading water in the top half of the Eastern Conference. They've played 33 games — the most of any team in the league — and sit 19-14; good enough for fourth in the standings with around 60% of the regular season to play.

Orlando has given itself a chance at victory in nearly every game this season. Banchero credits that to maintaining a steady defensive standard and the group's cohesion and willingness to scrap with anyone. But he's antsy to contribute between the white lines.

"I've been trying to get back since I first went out, really," Banchero said. "Now, I think, is gonna be the fun part of getting back into actually playing. I feel like I've just been showing up to the arena just to watch for a long time now. So, I'm going to be excited just to be suiting up to play, warming up and everything, getting back out here with the team. There's been some fun games that I've had to sit and watch, so just trying to make up for lost time when I come back."

"Sitting and watching for so long, you just miss the game. I'm just happy to be back out there playing."

He's not alone. The number of on-lookers at Thursday morning's shootaround, where Banchero's drill work was put on display for everyone significant in the organization to see, tells the story of a team ready to re-integrate the face of the franchise.

"It's very encouraging to see the way in which he's working, to see his conditioning start to slowly ramp up," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said pregame Friday. "You see the guys out there supporting him as they're watching him go through his workouts. It's good for the eyes, I can tell you that right now."

Moments before Banchero met reporters at his locker pregame, Mosley sauntered through the Magic's Kia Center locker room in a black Nike team-issued sweatsuit and grabbed a light blue marker. On the left whiteboard facing the room, he wrote a brief message that he felt his team needed to hear:

"GRIT + JOY," it read. Before he walked off, the fourth-year coach then underlined it.

How the Magic have arrived here, where an impending star's return is seen as an additive rather than a season-saver, shouldn't be categorized as anything less than gritty.

Barring any setback, it's also a crucial reason why the joyful day of his return could soon be coming.

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