After missing 10 games with a left groin strain, Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero is set to return to the court on Friday night against Miami. He has been listed as available, the team announced.
Orlando found its stride in the last 10 games, going 7-3 with a top-10 offense and defense in the league over that stretch.
Banchero is averaging 21.9 points and 8.7 rebounds a game this season, but while he was out, the Magic found success with better ball movement — players were making quicker decisions, not holding onto the rock, and seemed to be better at finding the open man rather than trying to feed Banchero or Franz Wagner. While Orlando’s ceiling is clearly much higher with Banchero, he needs to fit his game now into what has been working for this team. To be fair, he had already been doing that more this season, setting more screens and operating as a hub at the elbow at times.
Banchero’s return means he should be available next Tuesday when the Magic host the Miami Heat in an NBA Cup quarterfinals game with a trip to Las Vegas (and a larger Cup bonus check) on the line.
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