Cole Anthony injury: What is an oblique muscle injury and how long is the Orlando Magic guard expected to be out for?

Cole Anthony suffered an oblique muscle injury and will be sidelined for some time. The Orlando Magic guard suffered the injury during Wednesday night's 103-92 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, it is currently unknown how long Anthony will be unavailable. The timetable for his return will be determined after further valuation of his muscle injury.

This article will reveal everything you need to know about an oblique muscle injury and how long Cole Anthony could be out. We will also take a look at some other NBA players who have had the same injury.

---

Cole Anthony's oblique muscle injury could keep him sidelined for weeks

Anthony's oblique muscle injury is a tear in the muscles that causes sharp pain near the rib cage or abdomen. It's a rare condition for non-athletes, and several NBA players have dealt with it in the past.

The Orlando Magic, who are 0-5 so far this season, could be without Cole Anthony for a couple of weeks. Most therapies for an oblique muscle injury take a couple of weeks.

Considering that we are in the first two weeks of the 2022-23 season, the Magic will most likely give Anthony enough time to completely recover. Furthermore, the team is not in a win-now mode, which is why they can afford to lose one of their best players.

Cole Anthony could miss a few weeks due to oblique muscle injury.

Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics suffered the same injury in April 2019. Smart was officially sidelined on April 11, and he returned on May 6 during the 2019 NBA playoffs.

Glenn Robinson III played for the Philadelphia 76ers during the NBA Bubble. Unfortunately, he suffered the injury before the playoffs and missed an entire series (four games) against the Celtics.

Maxi Kleber of the Dallas Mavericks had an oblique muscle strain early in the 2021-22 season. He was sidelined for three weeks before returning to action.

Cole Anthony could return during November.

While it's hard to accurately predict when the Orlando Magic guard will return, it should happen in November 2022. Even if his muscle injury is serious, it shouldn't take him more than four weeks to recover.

---

Anthony has a bright future with the Magic

Cole Anthony has been in the NBA for three years and has been great for the Orlando Magic so far. Last season, the 6-foot-2 guard averaged 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.7 assists.

He is only 22 and could have a breakout season very soon.

The guard has a bright future in the league.

The Magic have a lot of great players who could achieve good results in the future. By drafting Paolo Banchero, the team added another young star who could become the face of the league.

With Anthony, Banchero and other talented stars, the Magic are the third-youngest team in the league this season. Their average age is only 23.3, which is impressive.