Paolo Banchero is quickly silencing the disrespect of All-Star voting

There is no surprise that Orlando Magic forwards Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero are struggling to penetrate the noise in All-Star voting so far this season.

The duo has missed significant time with injury -- Banchero missed 10 games with a strained groin, and Wagner will miss his 13th game with a left high ankle sprain on Tuesday -- and the Magic have not quite met expectations.

There might still be time for the Magic to climb up the standings and make an impression before the coaches vote on reserves. But it is hard to say either is a surefire All-Star with the time they have missed and how much Banchero has struggled.

Still, it is quite shocking to see the change from the first returns of All-Star voting to the second returns.

In the NBA's latest update of All-Star voting, Wagner maintained his spot at No. 20 among all Eastern Conference players. Banchero lost his spot at No. 19, falling out of the top 20.

The narrative on Banchero has been that he has had a difficult season. But this is a player who finished fifth among forwards last year after playing just five games before voting closed. It is hard to imagine that Banchero has played so poorly that he is now completely forgotten or disregarded.

Especially with the way Banchero is playing recently. It is hard not to see Banchero climbing back into the mix when the final results are released (voting closes Jan. 14).

Banchero is about to prove a lot of people wrong.

Banchero back in form

Whatever struggles he had coming off the groin injury and trying to fit in with an Orlando Magic offense that was flowing and moving better during his injury absence, Paolo Banchero seems to be turning a corner and returning to his form from the end of last season that had everyone whispering he could make All-NBA.

Banchero has found his way again.

In the last four games, Banchero is averaging 27.8 points per game, 10.8 rebounds per game and 6.3 assists per game. He is shooting 53.1 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from three (7 for 15). He is getting to the line for 6.8 free throw attempts per game.

He has been far more accurate and confident with his jumper too. He is hitting 20 of 29 (69.0 percent) in the restricted area and 7 for 15 (46.7 percent) on mid-range jumpers. That is 7.3 attempts per game in the restricted area and 3.8 mid-range jumpers per game.

"I'm feeling good out there," Banchero said after Sunday's win over the Indiana Pacers. "My body is feeling good. I'm just going out there and being aggressive."

That is a far cry from his full-season averages of 21.0 points per game, 8.6 rebounds per game and 4.7 assists per game on 45.2 percent shooting (the same as last season, when he had a similar downturn in the month after his oblique injury) and 26.3 percent from three, a career worst.

For the season, Banchero is shooting 69.5 percent in the restricted area on 4.9 attempts per game and 33.8 percent on 2.6 mid-range attempts per game.

Four games is a very small sample. It is easy to let the other narratives to win. Everyone's opinions seem to have been set in stone even if Banchero is starting to show signs that he is coming out of his post-injury adjustment.

After all, nobody seemed to recognize Banchero's turn last year after the All-Star Break when he averaged 29.0 points per game and shot 47.3 percent from the floor.

Everyone is waiting for Banchero to put all the pieces together and be this efficient superstar. It is indeed time for him to grow into that.

But he has made steps. And if this continues, Banchero will ultimately have the last laugh. And, if things go right, maybe a trip to Los Angeles for his second All-Star bid.

The Magic need to keep winning

Of course, the biggest step in that is to win more. And there are still questions about Paolo Banchero's overall impact on winning.

Even with Banchero's production in the past week, the Orlando Magic are 0.5 points per 100 possessions worse than their average on offense and 4.6 points per 100 possessions worse on defense.

The sample is small enough that there are wild variations. But Orlando still has a negative net rating with Banchero on the floor. That is certainly helped by the collapse in the fourth quarter in Toronto, among others.

The Magic as a team have played wildly inconsistnetly recently.

They are missing Jalen Suggs in the lineup. And Banchero has not always been able to play strongly in the fourth quarter. He is still working his way back from injury.

And Banchero still needs to improve his defense and defensive attention to detail. Banchero is still not all the way back.

Orlando has a lot of work to do as a group to be the team they need to be.

"Just to come out locked in from the jump. Play good basketball, defend, and just come out here and get a win," Banchero said of the team's goals after shootaround Tuesday in Washington, D.C. "Don't mess around or expect the game to go the way we want it to. We have to go out and take it to get the win."

Ultimately, Banchero and the Magic are judged on their wins. That is still going to be their path to a potential All-Star. It is how Banchero will regain his reputation and his attention in the league.

Banchero has faced a ton of criticism this season. Some of it is certainly deserved. But he is quickly putting those criticisms to bed and looking like an All-Star again.