The Orlando Magic, already struggling through a slow start to their season, will now be without their star player.
The team announced Thursday, Nov. 13 that forward Paolo Banchero suffered a left groin strain in the first half of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Knicks.
The Magic said Banchero would miss their game Friday against the Nets, and that his return would depend on his response to treatment.
Typically, mild strains can take a week or two to recover, while moderate strains can force players to miss several weeks, if not more than a month.
Banchero played only 12 minutes in Wednesday’s game, an eventual 124-107 victory, and did not play in the second half after suffering the injury.
Banchero, who suffered the injury on the night of his 23rd birthday, has seen his scoring production decline from last season’s total. He’s averaging 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. Last year, in 46 appearances, he posted 25.9 points per game.
What does this mean for the Magic?
Orlando, unfortunately, has had experience with Banchero missing time. Last season, he suffered a torn oblique in late October that forced him out of the following 34 games.
As Wednesday night showed, the Magic will need forward Franz Wagner — who also suffered a torn oblique last season — and newly acquired guard Desmond Bane to step up.
Wagner scored 28 points and hauled in 9 rebounds, while Bane chipped in 22 points, 8 assists and 6 boards.
Bane had started the season slowly, averaging just 13.9 points per game before the most recent four contests, in which he put up 18.8 points per game.
The Magic will rely on forwards Jonathan Isaac and Tristan da Silva in Banchero’s place. Isaac started the third quarter, though da Silva entered with 9:27 left in the period and played out the rest of the third.
Isaac also started the fourth quarter. He has had an uneven run in Orlando and is averaging just 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in nearly nine minutes per game.
Da Silva is in his second season, and has flashed some potential, averaging 10.7 points and 3.3 rebounds in 21 minutes per game.
The Magic are 6-6, but have won five of their last seven games.