Magic's struggles without Paolo Banchero bolster his MVP case

The Magic are a completely different team without their All-Star, Paolo Banchero, who missed the last two games with a torn oblique.

With Banchero leading the way in the first five games, the Magic averaged a respectable 112.2 points while outscoring opponents by 4.4 points per 100 possessions. A team that typically banks on its dogged defense, the Magic had found an identity on the other side of the floor. The ball was popping as the Jamahl Mosley-led squad averaged 25.6 assists at an impressive effective field-goal percentage of 53.4. Orlando looked like a team that could finish as a top-three seed out East.

In the last two games without Banchero, the Magic are averaging 97.0 points while getting outscored by 17 points per 100 possessions. Their assists are down to 22.5 per game, and the most worrying sign is their three-point percentage of 25.7 (9.5 3PM from 37.0 attempts). During Sunday's loss to Dallas, Orlando couldn't muster any type of offense and struggled to score even 25 points in any of the four quarters. It was particularly shocking as the Mavericks aren't exactly known for their defense and prefer outscoring opponents in high-tempo games.

If the Magic's woes continue in Banchero's absence, it only bolsters the Duke alum's case to win the MVP. In the four games before his injury, he averaged a career-high 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. Basketball Reference's MVP tracker had Banchero as the third leading candidate for the award behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jayson Tatum. 

With Orlando losing both games without its star player, it has fallen below .500 for the first time since the early part of the 2023-24 season — a testament to Banchero's impact on winning. Banchero is not projected to return until the first week of December, meaning the Magic could lose a lot of ground in their quest to return to the playoffs. On the flip side, Banchero's MVP case will only get stronger if he can return and lead the team back to the postseason. 

There aren't many teams that rely on one player as much as the Magic do on Banchero. They truly go as far as he can take them. If Banchero, 21, does come back and win the MVP, he will become the youngest to win the award since Derrick Rose and Wes Unseld.