Paolo Banchero was pretty sure that his injury was not serious, but there was some apprehension before he headed in for an MRI on Thursday afternoon to look at his strained groin.
You just do not know the severity of an injury until you get that imaging. You are always holding your breath.
It was good news then that Banchero's injury was confirmed as merely a strain. Banchero said it was "nothing major," and he is still able to walk and do most activities, albeit with some soreness.
He will be out for Friday's game against the Brooklyn Nets, and his return will depend on how he responds to treatment. It should be safe to assume Banchero will miss at least a few games to recover.
The Magic are still anticipating a long season ahead. And they and Banchero want to make sure he has no lingering issues for the long journey ahead.
"It's a marathon, not a sprint," Banchero said after Friday's shootaround. "It's a long season. You don't want to come back too early and have it linger around and bother you the rest of the season. I'm just going to take my time and listen to my body, but also attack the rehab process with a lot of urgency because I do want to get back out there as soon as possible. But just being smart about it and not doing anything premature."
The Magic have been through an extended absence from Banchero before. The team is leaning on that experience from last year to get through, however long this is.
But the team also is better equipped to handle a major absence this time around.
Forged in experience
When Paolo Banchero went down with a torn right oblique last year, it felt like the world was falling apart. This Orlando Magic team had never been tested without its star player. He seemed so vital that a prolonged absence -- it turned out to be two months -- felt like an insurmountable hill to climb.
The absence helped Franz Wagner emerge as a second no. 1 option. He carried the Magic with 26.1 points per game during the 20 games before he went down with his own injury. Orlando went 13-7 in those 20 games.
The experience from last year gives plenty of confidence to returning players that they can still succeed without their star player.
"It helps a ton to be able to lean on that," coach Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Friday. "Our guys know what it's like to play without him. Understanding it is always going to be by committee, and guys stepping up and embracing their role and what they need to do. Not asking for more, just being able to star in their role while he is out."
It is always by committee to fill in when such an important player is out. But the Magic have another tool they did not have last year: Desmond Bane.
This is one of the reasons why the Magic invested so much in acquiring Bane. They added another scorer and creator to fill the gaps should they miss top players.
Part of Desmond Bane's increase in scoring came from his play while Ja Morant was in and out of the lineup during the 2024 season.
During Morant's early-season suspension, Bane averaged 24.6 points per game and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 38.2 percent from three on 8.8 attempts per game. After Morant's season-ending injury, he averaged 20.4 points per game and 5.8 assists per game.
Bane has been in these shoes before and his ability to scale up will help the Magic continue to thrive.
"He's an elite basketball player in our league," Suggs said after shootaround Friday. "I think subconsciously it gives everybody confidence. But we don't have to force and try to do anything different. We're playing good basketball and doing the right things. He fits naturally into that. I think we're starting to establish a standard no matter who is playing. This is what we want to do, this is what we want to get to. This is what we want to create."
Mosley said he does not want players trying to do more than they would otherwise. This is not about someone replacing Banchero. But Orlando has players who can star in their roles even with a brighter spotlight.
That is part of this season's early turnaround.
A more solid foundation
If this injury hit a week ago, the Orlando Magic might be a little more concerned.
The team was coming off a dispiriting loss to the Atlanta Hawks after winning two in a row. There was seemingly a lot of tension around the team.
A 2-1 homestand capped off with the buzzer-beating shot by Desmond Bane over the Portland Trail Blazers restored some confidence. That fed into the win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday.
The Magic are finding themselves again and starting to climb the standings, not merely by feasting on bad teams.
"I think we've established something really good and really positive the past couple of games in terms of our style of play, finding motions, finding multiple actions, playing with a bit more pace in the half-court and making defenses guard different things," Suggs said after shootaround Friday. "I think we have a lot to build on these last couple of games in terms of how we need to play, regardless of who is on the basketball court."
The Magic are setting a standard for themselves now and are feeling what it means to meet that standard.
The Magic have won five of their last seven games. Since Oct. 30, Orlando is 10th in the league in net rating at +8.9 points per 100 possessions. The team is eighth in defensive rating at 109.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. The Magic are also ninth in 118.8 points per 100 possessions.
They are closer to the team everyone imagined.
"We're moving in that direction," Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Friday. "I think that's the big key. Everyone talks about you want to be playing your best basketball in May and June. You have to get the wrinkles out of the way early. That's what we've seen a little bit."
The Magic will undoubtedly miss Paolo Banchero. The Magic have a +2.7 net rating with Paolo Banchero on the floor, trailing only Jalen Suggs among starters in that category.
But the Magic are playing well and playing confidently. That should help them weather this storm.
"I think we're playing great basketball in the last 6-7 games," Banchero said after shootaround. "We're also in a position where we do need to win games. You don't want to drop too many. I think guys are feeling good right now. Hopefully, we get another win tonight, keep it rolling and whenever I get the chance to come back picking up where we left off."