Pair of key Magic players take big steps in injury recovery

Injured Magic starters Markelle Fultz and Wendell Carter Jr. were partial practice participants on Wednesday, head coach Jamahl Mosley told reporters, including Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

“It was a great day for them,” Mosley said.

Fultz has been sidelined since Nov. 9 with left knee tendinitis, having missed the past 15 games. Carter has been out even longer, as he sustained his injury – a broken left hand – on Nov. 4.

According to Beede, Carter said his left hand isn’t quite full strength yet.

“It’s like right at the last bit of my recovery,” he said. 

It’s unclear when Fultz, a guard, and Carter, a center, might return to action, but it’s certainly encouraging that they seem to be getting close. Fultz will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024, while Carter is under contract through 2025-26.

Here’s more from the Southeast:

• No firm timetable was given, but Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel hears the Heat could be getting a couple key contributors back in the next couple weeks. Guard Tyler Herro (ankle sprain) and center Bam Adebayo (hip contusion) are expected to return prior to Miami’s West Coast trip that begins on Dec. 28, according to Winderman. Herro has been out since Nov. 8, while Adebayo has missed the past four games.
• Hawks guard Trae Young was ejected during Monday’s loss against Denver for continually complaining about a non-foul call, which Jeff Schultz of The Athletic views as a sign of his immaturity. Young is the team’s best offensive player, but he doesn’t lead in the locker room or by example on the court, according to Schultz. At 9-13, Atlanta is off to a disappointing start, and Schultz says if things don’t turn around, the “unproven” front office and Young will be under the microscope, as head coach Quin Snyder was just hired at the end of last season.
• At one point in the first quarter on Monday, the Atlanta led Denver by 11 points. That lead turned into a 20-point deficit in the third quarter, when Young was ejected. Despite the loss, the Hawks mounted a furious comeback to make it competitive late, led by an “insane” performance by wing Bogdan Bogdanovic (a career-high 40 points, including 10 three-pointers), who could be trending toward a career year, writes Lauren L. Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (subscriber link). “Insane,” Clint Capela said. “I love it. Especially for Bogi. Because he’s the guy that I always see it in the weight room with me after games. He’s always the guy that I see after practice get more reps than everyone. … He’s doing everything right. And he deserved that.”