The Orlando Magic have gotten off to a so-so start to the 2025-26 season, and they have been without star forward Paolo Banchero who has been sidelined due to a groin injury. With the Magic set to take on the Boston Celtics on Sunday, head coach Jamahl Mosely gave an update on the former No. 1 overall pick, as per Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel.
Paolo Banchero will not be available for the Magic’s game against the Celtics as he continues to recover from the groin injury. Mosely himself will be available following a dizzy spell he suffered during the team’s game against the New York Knicks on Saturday. While he was feeling better, he was unable to finish out the second half of the Knicks game.
Mosely also gave an update on Jalen Suggs, saying that his status is still to be determined. Suggs has been in the team’s lineup, but as he continues his rehab from a knee injury from last season, he has not yet played in back-to-backs for the Magic this year.
With Banchero, Sunday’s game against the Knicks will be the sixth straight game he’s missed. As the Magic continue to try and climb in the Eastern Conference standings, they’ll need their star player back in the lineup as soon as possible.
Banchero has appeared in a total of 12 games this season, at a little over 32 minutes per game. He was averaging 21.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists with splits of 46.1 percent shooting from the field, 25 percent shooting from the 3-point line and 76.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Last season, the Magic finished at 41-41 and lost in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs against the Celtics. Banchero was not selected to the NBA All-Star team, although the numbers he put up were similar to the numbers he averaged in 2023-24 when he was named to his first All-Star appearance.
