Desmond Bane Scratched With Illness as the Magic Offense Prepares to Sink Further
Underdog NBA reported: 'Desmond Bane (illness) listed out Saturday.'
Desmond Bane is officially out for Saturday's game with an illness, which is just fantastic news for an Orlando Magic team that already looks like it is playing basketball underwater.
According to Underdog NBA, Bane is scratched for the weekend clash against the Golden State Warriors. When a guy averaging 17.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists suddenly hits the injury report with a bug, you have to adjust your expectations and your betting slips accordingly.
The Magic are currently sitting at a miserable 2-6, good for 12th in the Eastern Conference. They boast the 26th-ranked offensive rating in the league at 107.6. Taking 17.5 points out of a lineup that already struggles to put the ball in the hoop is like taking the engine out of a 1998 Honda Civic and expecting it to win a drag race.
Franz Wagner has been doing the heavy lifting with 19.6 points and 8.5 assists per night, but he can only do so much. Now he has to drag this 25th-ranked net-rating roster into the arena to face a 6-3 Warriors squad that actually knows how to score.
For anyone looking at the game lines or player props, Bane missing this contest is a massive swing. You cannot just replace his production with sheer willpower, meaning the offensive burden on Wagner is about to reach comical levels against a tough Western Conference opponent.
Orlando tips off against Golden State at 8:30 PM ET on Saturday. After that, they have to turn around and play the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. If Bane cannot shake this illness by then, the Magic might need to start holding open tryouts in the arena parking lot just to find some shooting.