Is Wendell Carter Jr all right? The early part of the regular season has already seen injuries to several key players throughout the league. Now, the Orlando Magic star also seems to have joined the list. Carter sustained tendinitis in his left knee just days ago but continued pushing on. Therefore, the community may have been expecting the hooper to continue at least for the foreseeable future, thinking that he’s okay. If they did, however, then they would certainly be left disappointed by the recent injury.

ESPN reporter, Tim McMahon, recently revealed that the Magic Center developed a left plantar fascia strain during the Mavericks matchup. At the 6th-minute mark of the second quarter, Wendell Carter Jr. attempted to intercept Luka Doncic’s lob pass to Daniel Gafford. The same caused the player to leap and then have an awkward landing on his left foot, leading to a non-contact injury.

Things seemed to be all right for a brief moment until the Center had to leave. The Magic was already in a precarious position, with Paolo Banchero sidelined. Now, with a 3-4 record, another player’s potential absence isn’t making fans happy.

Fans sympathize with Wendell Carter Jr. and Orlando, who just “can’t catch a break”

No sooner had the player sustained the injury than a discussion emerged in the comments section of a YouTube video highlighting the moment. One user went ahead and simply wrote, “Magic are crumbling in real time.”

Paolo Banchero sustained his torn oblique injury during the Bulls game. Before getting sidelined, the 21-year-old averaged 29 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.6 assists over 5 games. Much of it was thanks to the career-high 50 points, along with 13 rebounds, that he had made against Indiana. Orlando’s squad felt his absence badly when competing against the Cavaliers and the Mavs. After all, they lost both games by double-digit margins. With Wendell Carter Jr sidelined, the Orlando Magic’s offensive efforts may have a bigger gap.

One individual touched base on the problems that have been plaguing the other teams this season too. “Man injuries kicked in so fast this season.” From the looks of it, they surely did.

Several injuries sustained by key players started coming up even before the regular season began! Paul George ‘hyperextended’ his knee during a preseason matchup against the Hawks. Kawhi Leonard’s troubles from last season continued and still have the 76ers uncertain about their future. More recently, Utah‘s Taylor Hendricks sent shivers down all our spines after an ankle dislocation fracture. Stephen Curry has also been absent since his team’s last 3 games after once again getting into trouble with his ankle.

Wendell Carter Jr.’s injury was enough for some people to become sympathetic to the franchise’s plight. As a result, one of them wrote “The Magic can’t catch a break man.”

This may be a reference to the franchise’s abysmal status over the last couple of years. Between 2020 and 2023, they occupied the bottommost seeds in the Eastern Conference. The previous season marked only the 3rd time in 12 years that they’ve made the playoffs. However, Orlando couldn’t make it past the first round. Now, it seems that the troubles for the team have begun quite early.

Wendell Carter Jr. was visibly upset after he was benched. Hiding his face in the towel, cameras caught him shedding some tears. His teammate Jalen Suggs was there to console him. One individual was certainly touched by this. To shut down any of the haters in the comments section, he wrote, “For the people who are laughing at this imagine that you spend your whole life trying to get to the show and getting injured. That game could’ve be his last game. Imagine the heartbreak of failing to fulfill your dreams.”

Carter dealing with injuries is nothing new. In fact, he has played more than 60 games just once in his career. His ailments only restricted him to 55 games last year, the fewest since he joined Orlando Magic. Therefore, the player may have entered the ongoing regular season hoping that things would be different for him.

Defending Carter, another individual wrote, “This is NOT a sign of weakness. It shows how MUCH he wants to play ball. May a speedy recovery for the true baller.” The 25-year-old certainly looks to give his all when he’s on the court. In the previous 3 seasons, he averaged 13.8 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over 174 games. He maintained a field goal accuracy of 52.5%, with 3-pointers standing at 35.1%. Wendell Carter Jr. did his part in ensuring his franchise could thrive within a competitive environment.

Another individual expressed a wish to see the player again on the court soon. As a result, they wrote “Hoping for a fast recovery he’s a very good player to watch”, accompanied by a folded hands emoji.

Overall, the majority of reactions united the commenters sympathizing for the Orlando Magic, as well as Wendell Carter Jr. The team will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in less than 24 hours. The franchise currently holds a perfect 6-0 record in the ongoing season. Therefore, we will see whether Carter will be available for the same or not.