Paolo Banchero Shaking Off Rust, Magic Eye Growth After NBA Cup Exit
Since returning from a left groin strain, Paolo Banchero hasn’t quite looked like the All-Star version of himself-but if you ask him, the arrow is pointing up.
"I'm feeling good. I'm feeling better every game," Banchero said after the Magic's NBA Cup semifinal loss to the Knicks.
"Not really thinking as much in terms of the injury. Hopefully, I can continue to find my spots out there and continue to play within the team."
That’s what you want to hear if you’re a Magic fan. The numbers since his return-17.0 points and 5.5 boards per game-are a step down from his career averages (22.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG), but the eye test shows a player slowly regaining his rhythm.
In the semifinal against New York, Banchero came alive after a quiet first half, finishing with 25 points and eight rebounds. The burst was there.
The touch around the rim was there. But the outside shot?
Not so much.
"0-for-7 from three, obviously, I’m not happy about that," he said. "I feel like I got to the rim pretty well.
I want to get to the line a little more. [A] little loose with the ball at times."
That kind of self-awareness is part of what makes Banchero so intriguing-not just as a scorer, but as a cornerstone. He knows what’s missing, and he’s not ducking the critique.
Wagner’s Return Still on Hold
While Banchero works his way back into form, the Magic are still waiting on another key contributor to rejoin the rotation. Moritz Wagner, who’s been rehabbing from an ACL tear suffered a year ago, won’t be traveling with the team on their upcoming four-game road trip, per head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Wagner had recently expressed optimism about a return in the near future, but the Magic are clearly taking the long view with his recovery. It’s a cautious approach, and understandably so-Wagner’s energy and versatility off the bench could be a big boost down the stretch, but only if he’s fully ready.
Lessons from the NBA Cup Loss
The Magic’s run in the NBA Cup ended with a tough loss to the Knicks, but Mosley liked what he saw from his group-even in defeat.
“We fought. We battled,” Mosley said. “That’s what this team is going to continue to do.”
The fight was there, but the execution? Not always.
Orlando actually outscored New York on second-chance points, but couldn’t convert those opportunities efficiently. A few missed rebounds and some cold shooting in key moments made the difference.
“They were too comfortable,” said Desmond Bane. “We had a stretch there in the third quarter where I felt like we picked up our defensive intensity... But most of the night, just about everybody on the team was getting to the spots they wanted to get to with little resistance from us.”
That’s not the brand of defense Orlando wants to be known for. The Magic have built their identity on toughness and effort on that end of the floor, and for stretches, they showed it. But in a win-or-go-home environment, stretches aren’t enough.
Turning the Page
Still, the Magic aren't walking away from this with their heads down. If anything, they’re treating the loss as a building block.
“I definitely think it’s motivating,” Banchero said. “I’m sure everybody wishes we played better on a stage like this against a good team that we could see later on in the season. [This] just shows us what we need to work on and how we can be better later on for the springtime.”
He’s not wrong. The NBA Cup may be new, but the pressure it brings is real-and that kind of experience matters, especially for a young team eyeing a playoff push.
Teams like the Pacers and Thunder used their early exits in the Cup as fuel for deeper postseason runs. The Magic are hoping to do the same.
“We need these moments,” Bane added. “We need these games where we’re playing in meaningful games and have to go through some adversity. I think it will help prepare us for our next challenges.”
Big Picture
This isn’t about one loss in December. It’s about a young team learning what it takes to win when the lights get brighter.
Banchero’s getting healthier. Wagner’s return is on the horizon.
And the Magic are starting to understand how thin the margin is between competing and contending.
There’s still work to do-but the foundation is there.