The Orlando Magic’s postseason success hinges on Franz Wagner returning to full strength. It is clear the Magic are milking every moment they can get out of Wagner since he returned from a high ankle sprain and the setbacks that led to two false starts in his return.
The focus on Wagner is warranted. The Magic are clearly a better team with him on the floor, even for the limited capacity he is on now. The Magic know they need Wagner to have any kind of success of advancing.
Wagner’s Struggle to Play Full Minutes
Early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s game, Franz Wagner checked out with the Orlando Magic down 11 points. He came out less than a minute into the quarter. The ESPN broadcast showed Wagner on the bench with his left ankle and leg heavily wrapped.
Wagner said after Sunday’s loss, “I’m trying to push through. Get as much time out there as I can. I feel all right. It’s frustrating [not playing his full minutes]. But there’s only one way to get past that, and that’s to push through it. I want to do it the smart way. But to go to that point the smart way, that’s all I can do.”
It seemed like Wagner needed to come out of the game in the second quarter of Sunday’s game as well as in the second quarter of Friday’s win over the Chicago Bulls.
Limited Minutes, Noticeable Impact
Franz Wagner’s minutes have slowly crept up with each game. He is starting to do more.
He played 26:11 in Sunday’s game against the Boston Celtics, his most since he came back. That 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.
- Since returning, he has averaged 17.2 points per game in 21.3 minutes per game.
The Magic have a +15.4 net rating with Wagner on the floor — 115.7 offensive rating and 100.3 defensive rating.
It is obvious to see why the Magic want him back on the court and the impact he can make.
He clearly looks a step off. His ability to play long stretches is still limited. He still needs long breaks between coming in and out of games.
Hoping to Improve Each Game
Wagner is simply trying to push through those barriers and feel better. He is hoping that he feels better with each game.
Orlando is watching his minutes as much as anyone else. The Magic need every minute they can get from him.
Throughout this whole recovery process, coach Jamahl Mosley has preached patience.