Magic’s Noah Penda makes progress but still unsure of recovery timeline
· Yahoo Sports
Nearly three weeks ago on a court at a Nike facility located in New York City, Magic forward Noah Penda went through a light shooting drill that didn’t include much jumping.
On Friday morning inside the AdventHealth Training Center, the French forward went through a similar drill. This time, however, the work featured more elevation off the floor.
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It was a visible sign of the progress Penda has made since he sustained a partially torn right hamstring on Oct. 16 at Kia Center during Orlando‘s preseason finale against the Heat.
“I’m progressing better,” Penda said in the locker room before the Magic took down the Bucks to earn their first home win of the season on Friday night. “I’m following whatever the medical staff tells me to do and just overall, my body feels better. I know it’s about when I can be back on the court 100%. … So, I’m getting the right way, progressing the right way. I’m excited to be back.”
Exactly when he’ll be back to live-game action still remains unclear.
At the time of the injury, nearly a month ago, the Orlando Sentinel was told that it was expected he’d be out for a significant period.
Penda said on Friday night he’s still only running at a regular speed and that the toughest part of his rehab is trying to run maximum-level sprints.
“Whenever the medical staff tells me,” he said when asked by the Sentinel how long the process could last. “I have no idea. They didn’t put a timeline, really. We didn’t speak about a timeline. It’s really just about how I progress day-to-day, so we’ll see.”
Beyond the physical aspect of the recovery, the injury has taken a mental toll on Penda.
The second-year forward had already missed time in training camp due to a right hamstring strain. Penda previously said imaging showed that the original injury was healed and that he tore a different part of the same hamstring.
He also stayed relatively healthy during his first year in Orlando while appearing in 59 regular-season contests. He was a healthy scratch 21 times and was inactive for another two games. The 2025 second-round pick averaged 3.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists during 12.8 minutes per night as a rookie.
But after a summer that saw him shed weight close to 25 pounds, Penda had to come to a complete stop before his second regular season in the NBA even began.
“I’m not going to lie, the first week was really hard, mentally,” he said. “Of course, I’m around guys that have been through injuries. … I hate to see them with me, but seeing guys around me, it helped me. It’s all about staying locked in and remembering the bigger picture and trusting the process of getting back.”
Magic coach Sean Sweeney said Friday night that Penda is progressing well and continues to ramp up his on-court work. Sweeney said Penda is “on track” but also didn’t delve into a potential timeline when asked by the Sentinel.
Sweeney noted Penda’s work habits while praising the 21-year-old forward.
“Of the guys on the team, we have a lot of guys that love basketball but he may be right at the top of the list,” Sweeney said pre-game about Penda. “His work ethic, the questions he’s asked, he’s really engaged regardless of whether he’s in there or not. He’s doing a good job. He’s got to keep doing it, keep working his way back.”
The pathway to recovery is unfamiliar territory for Penda, who said he had never suffered an injury to this degree in the past.
Before he made his way to the NBA, Penda played professionally for Le Mans Sarthe of the LNB Elite League, France’s highest level of basketball. He also spent two prior seasons competing in the LNB Pro B League, the country’s second-tier pro league.
With the Magic this year, he averaged 4.3 points on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range with 3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and a steal during 14.5 minutes per night across three preseason contests before the hamstring injury.
“I didn’t know what coming back from a big injury would look like,” Penda said. “I’m a guy that needs to move a lot and I love basketball before everything. So, I was kind of relieved when you saw me in New York shooting. It’s good mentally to be able to do all of this stuff this quickly.
“I don’t know how much time I have left but I know that at least I’m able to touch the ball and get on the court, and it feels good.”
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]