Paolo Banchero has been diagnosed with a torn right oblique muscle, which means he will be sidelined indefinitely. His return to the court hinges on how well he responds to treatment and rehabilitation efforts.
The medical staff plans to re-evaluate his condition in approximately four to six weeks. This injury occurred during the fourth quarter of the Orlando Magic’s game against the Chicago Bulls on October 30.
Since the start of the season, Banchero has participated in and started five games for the Orlando Magic, showcasing an impressive performance with an average of 29.0 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game, and 5.6 assists per game, over an average of 36.4 minutes played each game.
He has notably led or tied for the team’s scoring title in three games, contributed the most rebounds in two games, and provided the highest number of assists in three games.
Throughout the season, he has consistently scored in double figures across all five games, achieving over 20 points in three of those contests and surpassing 30 points three times as well.
This includes a remarkable career-high of 50 points, achieved on October 28 against the Indiana Pacers. With this achievement, Banchero became only the fourth player in the franchise’s history to score 50 or more points in a single game.
At just 21 years and 351 days old, Banchero made history as the youngest player in the franchise to reach the milestone of 50 points in a game.
Moreover, he is now recognized as the second-youngest player in NBA history to accomplish the feat of scoring over 50 points while also securing more than 10 rebounds and dishing out at least 5 assists in the same game, with LeBron James being the youngest, achieving this at 20 years and 80 days old in 2005.
Paolo Banchero To Be Reevaluated In 4-6 Weeks With Torn Right Oblique https://t.co/xNYw4ogofx
— RealGM (@RealGM) November 1, 2024
