Orlando Magic will have to test their limits without Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero's star was shining as bright as ever this week.

He dazzled with a 50-point, 13-rebound, 9-assist effort Monday against the Indiana Pacers. He made play after play to deliver a win. He then followed it up with another stellar 31-point effort Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls.

Even with the result of that latter game, his stardom was undeniable. Banchero seemed to have taken an obvious leap in his game, becoming more patient and effective. He was getting others involved, beating the defense however they wanted and picking his spots to attack.

But something was clearly off at the end of the game against the Bulls.

Banchero was not attacking with the same fervor and intensity that led to him scoring 81 points in his last two games. On one possession in the fourth quarter, he missed a three short, the Magic grabbed an offensive rebound and found Banchero again for an open three, only for him to airball the shot.

Knowing what we know now, there were images of Banchero holding his side and audibly talking about the pain he was in as he tried to will his way forward, it all makes a bit more sense.

On Thursday, the Magic got the absolute worst news.

The team announced Banchero had been diagnosed with a torn right oblique. He will be out indefinitely and re-evaluated in 4-6 weeks.

That would put the earliest the Magic will look at him on Dec. 1, meaning Banchero will miss at least 16 games, including most of the NBA Cup games. He likely will be out longer considering he will have to get reconditioned before he steps onto the court.

Essentially, the Magic will go a quarter of the season without Banchero, at least. A crushing loss considering Banchero is the team's superstar.

In five games, he is averaging 29.0 points per game, 8.8 rebounds per game and 5.6 assists per game. He is shooting 49.5 percent from the floor and 34.4 percent from three. He has a 55.2 percent effective field goal percentage (his first time above 50 percent) and 59.0 percent true shooting percentage, putting to rest talks about his inefficiency.

This loss is bigger because Banchero was truly the hub of the offense. He is a 6-foot-10 playmaker and creator. Everything branches off from him and his presence on the court.

The Magic are still learning what their young players can do. If there is a silver lining to this injury, Orlando will better understand what its roster is capable of as the team grows into a title contender. The rest of the Magic's roster will be forced to grow now. And that could be valuable information.

Orlando Magic have a chance to see their roster's limits

So let's make this clear: The season is not over.

Paolo Banchero's injury does not end the team's hopes of making the playoffs or postseason. It is still the Eastern Conference. While dreams of winning homecourt advantage might slip away, the Magic are still more than capable of treading enough water to stay in position for the playoffs.

Their work will be cut out for them. And the Magic will have to hold the boat steady without Banchero in the lineup.

But it can be an opportunity to see how players grow.

Last year, the Philadelphia 76ers went 11-20 without Joel Embiid last year and were comfortably in the Play-In Tournament. Embiid's return helped the Sixers push to get into the playoffs proper. But that time gave Tyrese Maxey the chance to assert himself as an All-Star. It changed Philadelphia's outlook.

Teams can survive even major injuries.

Still, going from thinking about homecourt advantage and playoff seeding to mentally preparing to stay alive enough to fight for a play-in spot or the 6-seed is quite a fall.

But this is also an opportunity.

Franz Wagner has not been the main driver and engine for the team. Now he must assume a bigger role in the offense like he did in the Olympics. Can he hold serve as the leading scorer for the team?

Jalen Suggs has an increased offensive role this year. He is a more capable three-point shooter now. The Magic will need to tap into more of his scoring instincts and let him loose to make plays and try to create off the dribble.

Anthony Black has taken on a larger role for the team too. They have asked him to play more of a point guard role and be more aggressive.

Cole Anthony has taken on a larger scoring role for the Magic in the past—before the team drafted Paolo Banchero. Even though he was out of the rotation in Wednesday's game—bluntly saying he has been playing like dog [poop] and understanding why he did not play—he is a capable scorer who can take on more responsibility.

The Magic will have to get Wendell Carter more involved as a scorer and offensive weapon—he has dominated the glass but has averaged only 8.8 points per game on a career-low 6.6 field goal attempts per game.

Jonathan Isaac has played under some injury restrictions (and an injury of his own after opening night). But Orlando will expand his role and ask him to do more. The Magic will find out what his limits are and how improved he is.

Young players like Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva also will likely be thrown into the fire rather than eased into opportunities. Their production will be essential.

All of these players have settled into comfortable roles considering the continuity the team has played with. They all know exactly how they are supposed to fit together.

Banchero's injury will force them out of their comfort zone. It will force them to adapt. And that could be just as vital to determining what the Magic can do in the playoffs. The Magic will find out who thrives under this pressure.

In other words, someone is going to have to step up. Multiple players will have to step up to keep this thing afloat and still win games to put the Magic in a position to make the playoffs.

And Orlando is going to find out who can fill in what the team is missing with Banchero in the game by what they do with him out of the game. That should help them fill in gaps or target players to make the team better in the long-term.

There is no replacing Paolo Banchero

But there is no getting around this plain truth either: The Orlando Magic are a worse team with Paolo Banchero out and there is no replacing what he does.

Coach Jamahl Mosley will have to change how the Magic play completely. The Magic are going to have to reshape their attack because Banchero does so much with the attention he receives and his playmaking ability. There is a reason Orlando has built everything around him.

In only five games, the Magic have a 115.5 offensive rating with Paolo Banchero on the floor, a mark beaten by only Cole Anthony and Wendell Carter early in the season. It at least hints to how Banchero can boost the offense. Orlando has a +7.8 net rating with Banchero on the floor too. The Magic are a better team with him and he creates space and opportunities for everyone.

Replacing that will be difficult. But it is not impossible.

And the Magic can keep their ship steady with some patience and tweaks to the offense to allow Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs to run the show.

Orlando will still have its defense too.

Banchero is an improved defender, but still one of the weaker links in the team's defense. The Magic will have to play more focused and intense on defense to make up for what they lose without Banchero's offense.

An elite defense can still win a lot of games. While the Magic lose some size, their defense should still be able to get stops and give this team a chance to win.

This is a huge loss for the Magic. It will stagger the team. The Magic would have to completely shock the league to stay in contention for homecourt advantage. They will need a lot of players to step up in a major way.

But the season is far from over. Even if the journey just got much more difficult.