Paolo Banchero's Indefinite Absence Leaves Magic with Burning Questions

The outlook for the Orlando Magic's 2024-25 season shifted Thursday night as they face a lengthy stretch without their do-everything All-Star.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) warms up before a game against the Indiana Pacers at Kia Center. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

CLEVELAND – The outlook for the Orlando Magic's 2024-25 season shifted suddenly Thursday night when news broke that Paolo Banchero, their All-Star and leading scorer, suffered a torn right oblique.

The original diagnosis was a right abdominal strain, but further testing revealed the more serious injury. The team said that Banchero would be out indefinitely and would be re-evaluated in four to six weeks.

The injury occurred at some point in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's 102-99 loss at Chicago. Banchero finished the game with 31 points — two nights after his 50-piece against Indiana.

Five games into the season, Banchero was averaging 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists, with career-best shooting percentages of 49.5% on all shots and 34.4% on threes.

For a team with aspirations of securing a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, the injury is a crushing blow. In just his third season, Banchero is the best player on the Magic roster and one of the NBA's rising stars.

Orlando now faces a bevy of questions for the immediate future:

How many games could Banchero miss?

Banchero will be re-evaluated in four to six weeks. He'll miss all of November (16 games). Two more weeks on top of that could mean an additional six games through the early portion of December. So the Magic could be looking at a minimum 20-25 games without Banchero as the fulcrum of their attack.

Since entering the league, Banchero has missed 12 regular-season games — impressive durability given his 6-foot-10, 250-pound frame and how he utilizes it.

Who has to step up in Banchero's absence?

In short, everyone. Banchero's production leaves a high bar to meet in the aggregate. But pressure likely compounds on Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs to become the offense's primary facilitators.

Banchero's 31.1% usage rate this season is 15th-highest among players averaging at least 20 minutes a game this year. Whether he's scoring, passing, or getting to the foul line, that's a lot of possessions that Orlando trusts to end up in his hands. Last season, Banchero led the Magic in points, rebounds and assists – becoming the youngest player in NBA history to do so.

Consider how reliant the Milwaukee Bucks are on Giannis Antetokounmpo, how Nikola Jokic drives the Denver Nuggets, how Luka Doncic carries the Dallas Mavericks. That's how important Banchero is to the Magic.

While he is sidelined, a large chunk of responsibility likely lands on Wagner and Suggs. Each player received a five-year extension this offseason – $224 million for Franz and $150.5 million for Jalen, respectively. Those extensions don't kick in until next season, but for the Magic to keep pace in the Eastern Conference, they will need performances that reflect those new contracts.

Wagner, who has been dealing with an illness that forced early exits in his past two outings, is Orlando's second-leading scorer at 17.8 points. It's a small sample size, but his shooting percentages are back in the neighborhood they should be – 51.6 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from three. Suggs – again, considering a small sample size – has shown promise of another leap as a scorer. Through five games, he's scoring 16.8 points on 45.0 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from three.

Wagner and Suggs' usage rates are already high – 25.7 and 24.5, respectively – so the change in that area may not be as drastic. But the reliance on them in the Magic offense certainly will be different.

Who starts in Banchero's place?

Banchero's injury will affect Orlando's lineup rotations. Through five games, Banchero was averaging 36.4 minutes a game, 16th-most in the NBA. Those minutes are now up for grabs.

Orlando could move Jonathan Isaac into the starting unit alongside Wendell Carter Jr. in the frontcourt. He's returning from injury as well after missing three games with a left hip contusion and hasn't played more than 60 games in a season since 2018-19. He would maintain Orlando's size advantage in the first unit.

If Isaac's minutes remain limited, the Magic could go smaller and start another guard next to Suggs and Wagner. Gary Harris and Anthony Black have been the first players off the bench. Elevating one of them to the starting lineup would possibly move Wagner down to the four (power forward) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to the three (small forward).

If the Magic keep a 10-man rotation, minutes could open for third-unit players to find some regular playing time.

Orlando has a few wing options on the bench – Jett Howard, Tristan da Silva and Caleb Houstan. Cole Anthony, who seemingly has fallen out of the rotation after early-season struggles, could expect another look.

The Magic have answers to find – and fast.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

• BANCHERO OUT INDEFINITELY: A torn right oblique will sideline Paolo Banchero for the foreseeable future. DETAILS
• MAGIC-CAVS TV INFO: The Orlando Magic's five-game road trip continues on Friday night when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Here's how to watch, plus other relevant info about the game. CLICK HERE
• ANTHONY BLUNT ABOUT DNP-CD: Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony didn't see the floor once in his team's 102-99 loss vs. the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday night. With reporters postgame, Anthony was candid about why. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC-BULLS RECAP: The Orlando Magic squandered a 20-point advantage, then missed 18 of 22 shots in the fourth quarter of a 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls. CLICK HERE
• MAGIC'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE: See the complete slate for the Orlando Magic in 2024-25 and all the details – dates, locations, TV, tip times, and more – that you need to know. CLICK HERE

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