Kevin Durant Injury Helping Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero's All-Star Chances?

Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero could sneak into the All-Star conversation with Kevin Durant's status in doubt for the game.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 11, 2023

Kevin Durant Injury Helping Magic Rookie Paolo Banchero's All-Star Chances? /

ORLANDO - Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant's injury is sending shockwaves throughout the NBA.

Durant sprained his MCL in Sunday's win against the Miami Heat, but could be out for 2-6 weeks, according to ESPN.

ESPN says he shouldn't miss six weeks, which is the time he missed last year due to injury, but the NBA's schedule has the All-Star break in six weeks. By missing that much time, it could give Durant the proper amount of rest to heal and be completely healthy for the stretch run of the season that should prepare the Nets to make a deep run in the playoffs.

That also means that Durant, the Eastern Conference's leading vote-getter in the first All-Star voting update, could miss the inaugural game on Feb. 19.

That could open the door for the 8th-place frontcourt player, Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero, to make his first All-Star appearance.

Banchero would be the first rookie to be named to the All-Star team since Blake Griffin back in 2011. He is averaging 21.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign.

Given that Banchero won't be a starter, he'll have to rely on the coaches to vote him in, possibly as a replacement for an injured player ... like Durant.

The next All-Star voting update comes January 12.

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Published Jan 11, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.