Opportunity a Buzzword as Magic Face Unwelcome Stretch without Paolo Banchero

CLEVELAND – Paolo Banchero broke the news to his Orlando Magic teammates that his injury was serious and that he would be out indefinitely.

In delivering the diagnosis of a torn right oblique and the minimum absence of four to six weeks, the Magic's young leader immediately spun the doom and gloom into a positive:

His unwelcome injury is an opportunity.

"I just told them, sent them a message last night saying, 'This is a great opportunity for us to come together as a group [and] grow even closer,'" Banchero said at the Magic's shootaround Friday morning in Cleveland. "Obviously, it's not ideal that I'm out, but we have a lot of guys that can step up and make plays, so I think they're ready to do that."

While his message was optimistic, ignoring the reality of the situation is a stretch. Through five games, Banchero's line was 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists — superstar numbers. His development, paired with a rising young core and the front office's summer signing of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, signaled the direction of a team aiming at contention both now and in the future.

Now with their leading scorer and playmaker sidelined for the foreseeable future, the Magic's journey toward Eastern Conference contender is much harder.

"We got to have a conversation last night after it came out and everything," guard Jalen Suggs said Friday. "Got to speak, pick his brain, and give him some words of encouragement. It just sucks seeing your brother who wants to pour into – not only this team, but everybody on it – so much and something like an [abdominal] takes you out, one of those weird injuries."

"It's extremely tough," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said. "What we talked about this morning as a group was, it sucks, you know. There’s no other way to put it. It sucks for him, the way in which he started this year, the way in which he was playing, carrying us in so many ways."

But in the second part of Mosley's answer, there again was that word.

"In the same breath, you have to say it’s an opportunity," he continued. "An opportunity for guys to step up, step up [in] their role. [An] opportunity for guys to continue to play to our standard of basketball."

Banchero's injury came in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night's 102-99 loss at Chicago. He said Friday that he felt it and knew something was off. He wanted to finish the game — and he did with 31 points, too – but wanted to get further testing done. The results were worse than anyone hoped.

Until this moment, Banchero has been a durable player. He played all 39 games of his one season at Duke Through two-plus seasons with the Magic, he missed a combined 12 games. At 6-foot-10 and 250 pounds, the way he weaponizes his body to attack defenders is one of his biggest advantages — similar to the way that LeBron James or Giannis Antetokounmpo can bully their way to just about anywhere on the court.

For all the talk of opportunities for players not named Banchero to step up, Mosley said the setback is a chance for the 21-year-old All-Star to learn about himself in new ways.

"He understands that there's nothing he can do in this moment to control that, and it's another opportunity for his growth," Mosley said. "Now, there won't be as much physical activity going on, but it will be ... a mental version of it.

"We talked about it a little bit this morning, his ability to be in some of the coach's meetings, to see the game differently from that side of the floor," Mosley added. "It's another opportunity for his growth in that realm, talking to players [and] guys on the sideline, from his vantage point, would help out the entire group."

When asked how he views himself contributing while off the floor, Banchero sees himself becoming more vocal and staying engaged in practices. He'll still travel with the team and try to keep things "as regular as possible." Doing so will benefit his team and himself.

"Because this is not a – well, hopefully it’s not a multi-, three-, four-month injury. Hopefully, it’s just six, seven weeks. So just trying to stay engaged as much as I can and stay positive. Take it one day at a time and be ready to come back."

Suggs has dealt with injuries himself, and through those experiences he reflected on that time as a chance to slow down and focus elsewhere – an option unavailable in the NBA's day-to-day grind.

The Magic still understand that they will need Banchero back as soon as possible. Treading water without your No. 1 star in this league is not easy.

But if the Magic can take advantage of the unexpected opportunities that they harped on so much Friday morning, then adding a ready-to-go Banchero could angle them back the way they want to be heading.

"To have this time early in the season while everybody else is pushing it [and] making runs, to slow down, find rhythm, compact everything and lock in on mind, body and spirit," Suggs said, "so that when he comes back [and] everybody else is starting to get tired, he's fresh for that run into All-Star and fresh for those 25 games after.

"I'm excited to see how he handles this challenge," Suggs added. "It's a beautiful challenge. It sucks, as we talked about last night, but it's a great opportunity for growth. I know that's how he's looking at it."