It has been three weeks since Paolo Banchero suddenly pulled up with a muscle pull and left the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Optimism that his left groin strain would be something quick and manageable has quickly dissipated. It now seems like the team is approaching this with an abundance of caution.
For now, Banchero is still working to return on his own, going through non-contact individual drills, according to coach Jamahl Mosley.
The next step would be going through a contact practice. The team is not putting a timeline on when he would hit that mark or how long he would have to be in that part of the protocol.
The team has succeeded so far without him, but they are eager to see him return.
"We miss him. There is no mistake about that one," Mosley said after shootaround Wednesday. "But at the end of the day, we have always talked about it is always a next man up mentality. Who can step up in those moments? You are not going to replace the things he does on the floor by any one individually. You have to do it by committee. That's what this group has done, finding their way as a unit and as a group to come together and play the way we have been playing."
But the absence and the Magic's success since Banchero's injury have only fed stories about the team not needing Banchero.
To be clear, the Magic will need Banchero when the games really count. They miss him a ton and all the numbers suggest Banchero will fit in seamlessly.
But it is also undeniable the team is playing very well righ tnow.
So perhaps the whole scenario needs a bit of reframing.
These criticisms are not about whether Banchero is a good fit with this team -- a notion the Magic are actively pushing back against, as general manager Anthony Parker did on Game On on 96.9 The Game in Orlando this week.
These criticisms are really a statement of how good the Magic's supporting cast has been and how they have stepped up to the plate.
Filling in the gaps
From the beginning, the Orlando Magic did not endeavor to replace Paolo Banchero. They did not want Franz Wagner to try to be Paolo Banchero. They asked their players simply to star more in their roles.
If there has been a good thing to come out of the injury, then, it is that it has forced the ball into Desmond Bane and Anthony Black's hands more and forced them to be more aggressive.
Having the mentality that players can star in their roles and do more of what they were doing anyway will bode well for the team.
"I think each person has filled in the gaps in their own way," Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround on Wednesday. "I think each guy steps up on any given night. Our process, our ability to star in their role. And when you are given an opportunity to step on the floor, do your job. Each guy that we have asked to step on the floor at any given time is doing exactly what has been needed for this team."
Desmond Bane has been a standout as he has gotten more comfortable with his new team.
Bane is averaging a team-leading 24.1 points per game and 4.3 assists per game. He is shooting a better 34.6 percent from three.
The scoring and attacking are where the Magic expected when they acquired him even if the shooting still needs to come around.
Anthony Black has been a revelation in the last three weeks, too.
He is averaging 16.3 points per game and shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 36.4 percent from three in the last three weeks. Black's emergence has helped bolster the bench's production and given the Magic an aggressive, attacking sixth man.
Those two are not the only ones who have stepped up.
Goga Bitadze is averaging 1.4 blocks per game and has contributed more on defense and on the offensive glass. Joanthan Isaac and Noah Penda has been valuable versatile defenders to sprinkle into games.
It is truly everyone coming together to support and fill in with Banchero out.
Adjusting without Paolo
The success is apparent. But the Magic have had to find their way nonetheless. It is all confidence and momentum from this team. And it is something they believe will continue when Paolo Banchero returns.
The Orlando Magic are 7-2 in the games that Banchero has missed. The team has found its groove on both offense and defense, posting a 120.6 offensive rating (fifth since Nov. 13) and 110.9 defensive rating (also fifth).
The Magic have climbed into the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating overall for the season and advanced to the NBA Cup quarterfinals for a second straight season.
"I think we've been more consistent," Wagner said after shootaround on Wednesday. "A lot of guys are stepping up and making big plays. Especially, I thought AB has been playing really well. The way that we're playing is to everyone's ability and making sure we maximize everyone."
This time around, it is not Wagner leading the charge. It is everyone filling in the gap. There is a different style that the Magic are trying to implement and succeed at.
Wagner credited Bane for giving the team a bit of a boost and helping them adopt a style that is more sustainable on offense. The Magic have found a groove they hope everyone will slot into.
Banchero will be making a return at some point soon. And he will need some time to reintegrate with the group. That will be a challenge.
But he should be able to slot in with this group. And players will again form around him. The lessons learned now will serve the team when they are back to full strength.
These last three weeks are a testament to the team's depth and that strength rather than any perceived weakness in their star.