All eyes will be on this Magic player after All-Star break

The pressure will be on a Magic star to produce

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

There's a discernable gap between the Orlando Magic and the Cleveland Cavaliers, the No. 4 seed in the East -- a five-game gap, to be exact. Never say never, but while Orlando is four back in the loss column, that gap feels fairly insurmountable with 29 games left in the season.

That said, there's only a three-game difference between the Magic and the Raptors, the No. 5 seed; Orlando is also only 1.5 games back of Philadelphia.

Thus, there is still a world where the Magic avoid the play-in. Yes, it's been a pretty turbulent season after they had heightened expectations coming into the season. The All-Star break was a reset for many, but an exhale for many -- like us sickos -- who have watched them ad nauseam this year.

That doesn't mean there isn't light at the end of the tunnel -- at least in terms of netting a top-6 seed. But for that to be the case, Orlando must develop some consistency, and one player, in particular, will have eyes squarely on him ahead of this final push.

Why all eyes will be on Paolo Banchero post-All-Star break:

Jan 30, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) controls the ball against the Toronto Raptors in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

You could argue this, figuratively and literally.

When he's on-ball offensively, Banchero typically draws multiple sets of eyeballs from fans and players alike. When he's right, he physically overwhelms opposing backlines, evidently opening up opportunities for his teammates when eyes attract and defenses collapse.

The issue is that hasn't always been the case this season. There's been moments where the fourth-year forward has taken over games -- or sequences -- but those instances have been too few and far between.

Through 43 games, Banchero's averaging 21.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 45.4 percent shooting and 30.2 percent from 3-point range. Even when Franz Wagner's been sidelined with injury, Banchero hasn't quite grabbed the lead role by the thorns; Desmond Bane and, at times, Anthony Black has.

Now that the Magic are approaching full health, Orlando, who has the 12th-easiest schedule the rest of the season, all eyes will be on Banchero's performance. The Magic have won three-straight just once since early December; they have also only lost at least three-straight once.

Orlando will need to go on a hot streak if they want to crack a top-six seed. It begins its post-All-Star break on the West Coast, beginning with the Sacramento Kings Thursday at 10 p.m. EST.

More Orlando Magic OnSi Stories:

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations