Paolo Banchero Update: Return Draws Closer

Good news for Banchero and Orlando, but bad news remains

Since his injury on Halloween, former Duke star Paolo Banchero has missed eight weeks and 27 games. Impressively, the Orlando Magic have done reasonably well, with a current record of 19-13. This may get trickier as center Moe Wagner was recently lost for the season with an ACL injury.

The good news for the Magic though is that Banchero appears to be much closer to his . This week, according to the Orlando Magic Daily, he has gone from stand-still shooting drills to running the court and doing defensive drills.

That doesn’t mean he’s ready - he’s clearly not - but he’s making a lot of progress and getting closer.

Coming back from a torn oblique can’t be easy because it’s a core muscle and will undergo a lot of stress and strain and therefore his recovery needs to be carefully managed.

Still, given Wagner’s injury, Banchero’s prospective return has to be cause for optimism for Orlando.

If things continue to go south for Orlando though, a return to the draft lottery is not inconceivable. And if that’s the case, then the Magic might get to pick someone like Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey or VJ Edgecombe.