The Magic are 10th at 1-2 and play four games this week, starting with two at Toronto on Wednesday and Friday. They face it without Paolo Banchero, with Jalen Suggs' right knee still unresolved.
Two games in Toronto will say more than any single night.
Orlando plays at the Raptors on October 28 and again on October 30, the second as an Emirates NBA Cup game. Seeing one opponent twice in three days lets a coaching staff adjust between meetings, which matters for a team still finding its shape under Sean Sweeney. The standings are tight: the Magic sit 10th, one game behind sixth-place Indiana at 2-1.
Banchero is gone for the whole week, and the depth chart is thin around him.
Banchero is out with a right ankle injury, with a target return of November 22. Noah Penda and Izaiyah Nelson are both out until November 18. Jonathan Isaac is listed out with an October 28 target. Suggs left Sunday's win with a right knee injury; he is listed with a knee issue and an October 28 target as well, though Sweeney had no update beyond saying Suggs would be evaluated.
Sunday's win showed a workable plan without Banchero, but it leaned on a few people.
The Magic trailed by 12 and won by outscoring New York 40-27 in the final period. Franz Wagner scored 21 of his 23 points there. Anthony Black and da Silva were the bench engine: Black finished plus-21 and da Silva plus-20, each hitting five threes. The weak spot was Jase Richardson, minus-22 in 17 minutes. Orlando's bench produced 47 points, and that load will not shrink while the injury list stays long.
The week ends with two home games on consecutive nights.
After Toronto, Boston visits on November 1 and Washington on November 2, a Sunday and Monday pair. Minutes are already stretched: Jamal Cain's playing time is up 10 a night over the last three games and Suggs is up nine. Suggs' true shooting has dropped to 37.2% over his recent games. If he sits, those minutes move to players who have barely scored.
Who do the Magic play this week?
They play at Toronto on October 28 and October 30, then host Boston on November 1 and Washington on November 2.
When is Paolo Banchero expected back for Orlando?
He is out with a right ankle injury and the target return is November 22, so he misses all four games this week.
