The Magic forward Paolo Banchero, who was selected as the top pick in this year’s draft, is set to sit out his fifth consecutive game on Friday versus Chicago due to a sprained left ankle.
Banchero, in an interview with Khobi Price from The Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link), mentioned ahead of the recent defeat against Minnesota that he is progressing in his recovery. However, he continues to experience discomfort and anticipates being out for at least another week due to the injury.
According to Price’s report, Banchero picked up the injury towards the end of a game against Houston on November 7. The former standout from Duke has showcased his skills as the top pick, averaging 23.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists over 11 games (with an average of 34.6 minutes per game).
In a positive development, guard Gary Harris may mark his first appearance of the 2022/23 season for the Magic on Friday, as mentioned by Price in another piece for The Orlando Sentinel (subscription required). Harris has been sidelined since undergoing surgery for a torn left meniscus at the end of August. He is currently listed as probable for the matchup against the Bulls.
The 28-year-old shooting guard inked a two-year, $26MM extension with Orlando just before the commencement of free agency in June. The deal includes a non-guaranteed second year.
Following his absence in Wednesday’s game due to a right plantar fascia strain (Twitter link), forward/center Wendell Carter Jr. is also marked as probable for the game against Chicago, Price reports via a Tweet (Twitter Source). Head coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned that Carter has been managing this issue for quite some time.
Image Source: Paolo Banchero @ Instagram
