Magic Playing Through Star Player’s Injury

The Orlando Magic have been average through the young NBA season. At 6-6, there’ve been highs and there’ve been lows.

One of their lows is Paolo Banchero‘s injury — a right torn oblique — which at diagnosis was a 4-6 week injury.

Such is life in sports, though. Injuries happen and teams have to adjust. Next man up, if you will. So what’s up with the Magic?

Frisky Start

Banchero didn’t start the season injured. He played in the team’s first five games and they looked pretty good.

Their season-opener came against the Miami Heat. It wasn’t really much of a battle though, as the Magic disposed of the Heat 116-97 and their star forward showcased vast improvement in his game. With 33 points on 50% shooting, he seemed poised for a statement season.

That hype reached its boiling point when the Magic first met the Indiana Pacers this season, a game they won 119-115. The story from that one, though? A 50-bomb from Banchero.

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He followed that with 31 against the Chicago Bulls in a 102-99 loss and that’s when it came to a sudden stop.

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The Days After

Just because you lose your star player doesn’t mean you stop playing, so the Magic got right back at it. At first, it was a challenge. They lost their first four games without Banchero, to the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Pacers.

Chalk that up to a natural letdown or trying to figure out what the new plan is, because they’ve won all three of their games after that skid.

Perhaps it’s a blessing in disguise, because the opening has allowed Franz Wagner to step up as the leader of the team. The players feel that as well.

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That great play has looked like 20.9 points, 4.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game for the forward. The last five have been impressive, especially considering the company his numbers keep him in.

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In the team’s most recent game Tuesday, the first of the NBA Cup Group Stage, Wagner dropped 32 in a 114-89 win against the Charlotte Hornets.

Guard Jalen Suggs has stepped up as well. His all-around development has been clear and it showed in the first half against Charlotte.

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The Magic aren’t dead in the water quite yet.

Coming Up

Up next for the Magic — their third game of the season against the Pacers. The first meeting brought Banchero’s superstar performance. The second didn’t go quite as well, as they fell 118-111.

It feels like this is a different version of the Magic than the ones who lost that game, though. That team was still trying to figure themselves out. This team, with Wagner as the clear leader and help from guys like Suggs, Anthony Black and Moritz Wagner (yes, Franz’s brother), it’s a different equation.

They even have an unsung hero, it’s just not one of the players. Well, perhaps it’s all of the players. As the old saying goes, defense wins championships and the Magic can defend with the best of them.

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Much will be learned about the team in Wednesday’s game. Will they drop another to Indiana and have their win streak snapped? Or will they make it four wins in a row and prove that it really is a team game?

That answer will come soon enough.