Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Paolo Banchero[/autotag]’s breakout NBA season will be on hold for the foreseeable future.
According to a Thursday night report from ESPN’s Shams Charania, Banchero will miss at least the next four weeks after he suffered a torn right oblique.
“He will be re-evaluated in four-to-six weeks and return to play will be based on how he responds to treatment,” Charania wrote.
Banchero led the Orlando Magic to the Eastern Conference Playoffs last season, averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists en route to his first NBA All-Star nomination.
Through the first five games of his third year, it seemed like the former No. 1 overall pick had taken another step forward toward the upper echelon of basketball stars. He averaged 29.0 points thanks to his first career 50-point game, and he was on track for career highs in rebounds (8.8), assists (5.6), field goal percentage (49.5%), and 3-point percentage (34.4%).
The Magic play 16 games in November, so Banchero would need to return as soon as possible to be eligible for any end-of-season awards. Players must appear in at least 65 contests to make the All-NBA or All-Defensive teams, meaning Banchero could only miss 17 games before forgoing his chances.