Magic all-star and former first overall pick Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique injury on October 30, exiting the contest with the Chicago Bulls in the fourth quarter. On October 31, he was officially diagnosed with a right torn oblique, and is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks, heavily impacting the Orlando Magic. 

Banchero serves as the anchor to a young Magic roster, averaging 29 points per game (PPG) in the first two games of the season. Since Banchero’s exit against Chicago, the Magic are 0-3, including blowout losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Dallas Mavericks. Along that three game stretch, the Magic have only scored 97.7 PPG while allowing a whopping 110 PPG. Banchero’s absence has been felt in Orlando, with a major gap in the team’s offensive efficiency being exploited by opposing teams.

In Paolo Bancheros absence, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosely looks to other Magic stars such as Franz Wagner and Cole Anthony in order to pick up the slack. Fortunately for the Magic and its fans, Banchero plans on staying close to the team, assisting Coach Mosley as the season progresses. “There won’t be as much physical activity going on,” Mosley said,“but it’ll be a mental version of it. His ability to be in some [of] the coaches’ meetings, to see the game differently from that side of the floor, it’s an opportunity for his growth in that realm.” In the ever increasingly competitive Eastern Conference, it seems the Magic have dark days ahead if key players are unable to elevate their game to the next level in the absence of their star teammate.