When Wendell Carter Jr. is on the court, the Magic defense this season has been 4.7 points per 100 possessions better. The starting center does a lot of the little things that allows Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner to thrive.
Orlando will miss that over the coming weeks because Carter will be out with a fractured hand, the team announced.
.@OrlandoMagic INJURY UPDATES (1/2):
Wendell Carter Jr. has suffered a fractured third metacarpal of his left hand tonight at Utah. The course of treatment will be determined after the team’s return to Orlando.#MagicTogether
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) November 3, 2023
The third metacarpal is the bone that connects the wrist to the middle finger. While the team has released no details on a recovery timeline, the Cleveland Clinic suggests at least three weeks in a cast. This is Carter’s non-shooting hand, so the timeline for his return is unclear but it is undoubtedly weeks and likely closer to a month.
The injury occurred in the final seconds of the Magic’s win over the Jazz Thursday when Carter went for a rebound and fell on his left hand.
Moritz Wagner likely steps into the starting role, while both Jonathan Isaac and Goga Bitadze will probably get chances off the bench as well.
Carter struggled on offense to start the season, averaging 9.4 points a game on 37.8% shooting, but adding 8.6 rebounds and solid defense.
The Magic are battling other injuries as well. Starting point guard Markelle Fultz did not play Thursday due to swelling around his left knee, while Gary Harris is out with a strained right groin. No timeline on the return for either of those players was made public.
