BOSTON – Early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, Franz Wagner led the Orlando Magic down by 11 points. It was strange to see him come out less than a minute into the quarter. But it was clear he was struggling.
The ESPN broadcast spent at least part of the fourth quarter playing before Wagner returned with 3:06 to play, and with shots of Wagner on the bench as the Magic trailed by seven. His left ankle and foot are still badly wrapped every time he is out of the game.
It’s so obvious that the Magic are doubling down on every moment they get out of Wagner as he returns from an ankle sprain and suffered setbacks due to two false starts in his return.
It is important to pay attention to Wagner. The Magic are clearly a better team with him on the floor, even if he is in a limited capacity right now.
But now that the postseason has arrived, the Magic know they need Wagner to have any success moving forward. And it appears that Wagner is doing his best to give the Magic everything he can.
“I’m trying to move forward. Get as much time off as I can. I’m feeling OK,” Wagner said in the locker room after Sunday’s loss. “It’s disappointing (not playing all his minutes). But there’s only one way to get through it, and that’s to move through it. I want to do it the smart way. But to get to that point smart, that’s all I can do.”
It wasn’t the first time it felt like Wagner needed to come off the game. He looked like he was taking himself out of the game during the second quarter of Sunday’s game, as well as Friday’s win over the Chicago Bulls.
Wagner is really trying to push himself. The question is whether he can provide adequate support to this team.
slowly doing more
Franz Wagner’s minutes have gradually increased with each game. He is starting to do more.
He played 26:11 of minutes in Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics, his most since his return. But he is still nowhere near what he was playing before.
Before Wagner’s injury, he was averaging 23.4 points per game in 34.5 minutes per game. That’s a far cry from the average of 17.2 points per 21.3 minutes per game since his return – in fairness, it’s 29.0 points per 36 minutes, which shows just how effective Wagner can be.
The Magic have a net rating of +15.4 with Wagner – a 115.7 offensive rating and 100.3 defensive rating. He has always been a coordinator like this. He’s improving in every aspect, even just the threat, of what he can do.
It’s clear to see why the Magic want to get him back on the court and how much of an impact he can make.
But he clearly seems to be taking a step backward. And his ability to play for a long time is still limited. He still needs long breaks between coming in and out of the game.
Wagner is just trying to overcome those obstacles and feel better. He’s hoping to feel better with each game.
Orlando keeps track of his minutes like anyone else. And magic needs every minute they can get from it.
Patience is all magic
Throughout this recovery process, coach Jamahl Mosley has preached patience.
He preached that the team is trying to keep Wagner’s long-term health in mind. He does not want this ankle injury to happen again and again as it has happened this season. They want this to be the end of their injury story.
Still, the Orlando Magic know they need Wagner. They see what he can do and how he boosts whatever lineup he’s in.
In the playoffs, when decisions get tougher and driving lanes shrink, they need another player who can create for themselves, help spread the floor and create offense down low.
After last year’s playoffs where Wagner averaged 25.8 points per game, his impact on the Magic was clearly visible. It’s hard to find a lineup or pairing that Wagner hasn’t improved upon.
The lineup of Franz Wagner and Desmond Benn without Paolo Banchero has a net rating of +5.0 (118.6 offensive rating/113.6 defensive rating), according to Databaller. The lineup of Wagner and Banchero without Ben has a net rating of +26.0, albeit in 37 minutes.
Even in his current position, Wagner supercharges the lineups he’s in. A healthy Wagner who can attack downhill and score at the rim completely changes the Magic.
It makes them a much better team. His absence was felt throughout the season as he suffered a high ankle sprain in early December.
It is impossible to know what the season would have been like if Wagner had not been injured. It seems safe to assume that the Magic won’t be preparing for a play-in tournament game or disappointed with how their season went.
For now, the Magic are trying to get Wagner back up to speed.
But the reality is that now these games must be won. Now there is no scope for mistakes. Sunday was the team’s last chance to drop a winnable game. And that still stings.
The Magic need the best version of Wagner to have their best chance on Wednesday, let alone the remaining games of the postseason.
Wagner can continue to give his best as long as possible. And hopefully he can break down the physical walls he faces in his recovery.
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