Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero is set to return from a torn oblique injury on either Thursday, Jan. 9, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, or Friday, Jan. 10, against the Milwaukee Bucks, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
Banchero has been sidelined since Oct. 30 after suffering a torn right oblique in the Magic's 102-99 loss to the Chicago Bulls. After watching from the sidelines and behind the scenes at practice over the last two months, Banchero has slowly been working his way back to a level where he could join the team in practice.
Despite Banchero being out, along with several other key talents like Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and now Jalen Suggs, the Magic have remained competitive in the Eastern Conference at 22-16 overall.
It appeared as if a return to the court was on the horizon for the Magic forward when he took to social media recently and wrote, “The wait is almost over.”
Even without their All-Star on the court, the Magic have battled through adversity and proven their depth as a young, rising team in the East. Cole Anthony alluded to this recently, claiming that this team simply has enough talent, no matter who plays, to be one of the best in the NBA.
“We have enough,” Anthony said following the team's recent 103-94 win against the New York Knicks. “We are enough and we just proved it again tonight. … Bodies down? Cool. We still got bodies, that are active that can get after it.”
As for Banchero and his return from a torn oblique, he was a full participant in Wednesday's practice, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. He will be upgraded to questionable for Orlando's next game but is expected to make his grand return on Friday against Milwaukee.
Before suffering this injury early in the season, Banchero looked like one of the best players in the league. In Orlando's first five games, Banchero averaged 29.0 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting 49.5 percent from the floor. One of Banchero's best performances of his career came in the third game of the season when he registered 50 points, 13 rebounds, and nine assists in the Magic's 119-115 win over the Indiana Pacers.
This performance made Banchero the second-youngest player in NBA history to record 50 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game, behind only LeBron James.
Further updates on Banchero's official status for Thursday and Friday's games will be provided by the Magic.