Paolo Banchero's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (oblique) is out indefinitely after suffering a torn right oblique muscle. Wow, this sucks for both fantasy managers and basketball fans in general. Banchero was off to an excellent start to the season, including a 50-point effort on Monday. The All-Star forward is set to be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks. It's going to be nearly impossible for the Magic to fill the void left by Banchero. The assumption is that Jonathan Isaac and Moritz Wagner see increased roles for the next month or so. Between the two, Wagner is the better fantasy option given Isaac's injury history. However, both players should see a boost in playing time with the Magic shorthanded at the forward spot.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero finished with a massive double-double in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had a team-high 38 points and 16 rebounds, adding three steals and one block. Unfortunately, his stellar performance wasn't enough to lead his team to the win. With the Magic now eliminated from the postseason after seven hard-fought contests with the Cavs, Orlando will look to improve the roster during the offseason. With that said, the club will remain constructed around Banchero, who showed signs of growth in his second season in the league by averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Although his shooting numbers could use some work, he'll likely improve in 2024-25, raising his stock in category formats.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero led the way with 39 points in Tuesday's 104-103 Game 5 loss to Cleveland. He shot 14-for-24 from the field and 4-for-7 from downtown en route to becoming the third-youngest player ever with 39-plus points in a playoff game, behind only LeBron James and Magic Johnson. Banchero's night included eight rebounds and four assists with five turnovers. The Magic star now boasts two 30-point efforts in the series and is averaging 24.8 points overall, along with 7.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists. Orlando will need similar numbers from him in Friday's Game 6 to survive for another day.