Izaiyah Nelson has been ruled out, a change from his previous day-to-day tag, with a left ankle issue that has him about a month from a return after offseason surgery. He will miss the Magic's next game, against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
What happened
The Orlando Magic's Monday, Sept. 28 injury report lists Izaiyah Nelson as out with a left ankle issue, a change from the day-to-day designation he had carried since Sunday, Sept. 6. Team president Jeff Weltman said Monday that Nelson remains about a month away from returning to the court after offseason ankle surgery, according to Philip Rossman-Reich of OrlandoMagicDaily.com. The report lists an expected return date of Nov. 1.
What it means for the Magic
Orlando's next game is at Memphis on Wednesday, Oct. 7, and Nelson will not be available. He has not logged a regular-season line for the Magic, so his absence does not show up in the box score, but it does mean less depth up front as the team heads toward the season. The rotation minutes carry through the returning core: Paolo Banchero (34.7 minutes, 22.2 points), Desmond Bane (33.6, 20.1), Franz Wagner (30.0, 20.6), Anthony Black (29.8, 15.0), Wendell Carter Jr. (29.3, 11.8), Jalen Suggs (27.6, 13.8), Tristan da Silva (24.7, 9.9) and Jevon Carter (20.4, 7.2). The Magic have not played a game this season, so there is no record to compare with or without him.
What to watch
The Magic will update Nelson's status on their next injury report. Weltman's timeline points to a return around Nov. 1, meaning Orlando is expected to play multiple games without him, starting with the Oct. 7 matchup at Memphis. Until a new report changes his designation, Nelson remains out with the left ankle issue.
Is Izaiyah Nelson playing at Grizzlies?
No. Nelson is out with a left ankle issue and will not play against the Grizzlies on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
When will Izaiyah Nelson be back?
There is no confirmed game date yet, but team president Jeff Weltman said Monday, Sept. 28 that Nelson remains about a month away from returning, with the injury report listing an expected return around Nov. 1.