Noah Penda is still on the long road back, but the signs are getting better.
On most days when the media is allowed in around the Orlando Magic, Penda is off to the side near the free throw line or the middle of the floor, helping teammates with passes as they go through shooting work. It’s not nothing. He’s still around the group, still involved, still doing what he can while he comes back from a partially torn right hamstring he suffered in the final preseason game.
And on Friday, there was another step forward.
Penda was on the court taking jumpers and going through a very light workout after shootaround, a small but meaningful development this early in his recovery. Simply getting to that point is a positive sign.
“I’m progressing better,” Penda said before Friday’s game. “I’m following whatever the medical staff tells me to do.
Overall, my body feels better. I know it’s about when can I be back on the court 100 percent.
The toughest part is doing high-maximum-level sprints. Right now I’m at the level of running regular.
I’m progressing the right way. Excited to be back.”
There still isn’t a timetable for his return, and the Magic haven’t put one out there. For now, he’s just working quietly and steadily toward getting back.
That’s been the frustrating part, because Penda looked ready for a real jump this season. He had a strong summer, carried that into a very good preseason and appeared lined up for backup forward minutes. His shot looked more confident, and he was making more noticeable plays on defense.
Then came the preseason finale against the Miami Heat. Penda picked off a steal and went after the ball, only to pull up and exit immediately. The diagnosis was a partially torn hamstring, and the wait began.
He said this is the first real injury of his playing career, and the mental side of sitting out has been tough. Still, he’s had other injured players around the roster to lean on, and that has helped him stay locked into rehab.
“I’ve never been injured before,” Penda said before Friday’s game. “I didn’t know what coming back from a big injury would look like.
I’m a guy that needs to move around a lot and loves basketball. I was kind of relieved.
It was good mentally to do all this stuff quickly. I don’t know how much time I have left.
At least I’m able to touch the ball and get on the court. It feels great.”
Penda had spent the offseason reshaping his body and getting ready for a bigger role after playing only spot minutes as a rookie. The injury interrupted what felt like the start of something bigger, but the focus now is on the smaller wins: more movement, more work, more check marks cleared.
Coach Sean Sweeney said the Magic like where Penda is in the process.
“He’s progressing well and ramping up,” Sweeney said before Friday’s game. “He is still on track.
Nothing has really changed with where he is at. He is doing a great job with his work habits.
We have a lot of guys who love basketball, but he might be at the top of the list. The questions he asks are really engaged regardless of whether he is in there or not.
He is doing a good job. Got to keep doing it and keep working his way back.”
The Magic have gotten healthier after an early stretch of injuries, with Jalen Suggs, Jamal Cain and Tristan da Silva all back in the lineup. Paolo Banchero is still working back from a high ankle sprain.
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