The Orlando Magic will return from All-Star weekend facing renewed adversity.
With a road matchup against the Sacramento Kings (12-44) scheduled for Thursday night at 10:00 p.m. ET, Orlando (28-25) will move forward without star forward Franz Wagner, who has been ruled out indefinitely as he continues to recover from soreness related to a left high ankle sprain.
Speaking at Thursday’s practice, Paolo Banchero emphasized patience as Wagner works toward a full recovery.
“I mean he’s one of our key pieces of our team and you know we need him out there but at the same time we don’t want him coming back before he’s ready and so it’s unfortunate,” Banchero said.
“You know, he’s kinda came back twice and been out and then had to be out again so just want him to take his time – however long that is and get all the way healthy because we don’t want him out there if he’s not feeling like himself. So, I think that’s the biggest thing is just let him take his time to get healthy.”
Paolo Banchero, Jamahl Mosley highlight Franz Wagner’s value beyond the box score
Wagner, 24, is in his fifth NBA season and remains a central figure in Orlando’s offense. Across 28 games, he is averaging 21.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 47.9% from the field and 36.5% from 3-point range in 31.8 minutes per game.
Head coach Jamahl Mosley underscored Wagner’s value beyond the box score, pointing to his work ethic and leadership within the locker room.
“I mean there aren’t words that describe what Franz means to this team, his toughness, his resilience, his desire and want to get back on to the court,” Mosley said.
“Every person on this team knows his work ethic and his care factor for this group. There aren’t many words that can describe it for this group, but also for him. I talked to him last night and his ability to want to just be on the floor and that’s what is the hardest, but also understanding that he knows how capable this group is of achieving the things that we say we want to do even with him being out for this time.”
Magic’s Moritz Wagner opens up on brother Franz’s emotional battle
Wagner’s absence also carries a personal dimension for teammate and brother Moritz Wagner.
“I mean first of all it sucks because he’s my brother and you have a pretty high level relationship and he’s obviously not happy with it and he’s struggling emotionally and all that stuff, so everything that comes with it,” Moritz said.
“You hate to see that for a family member. Obviously for us as players, big too because he has such a big impact on the game but primarily I care more about the person and I feel very bad for him.”
Moritz added that recovery extends beyond physical rehabilitation.
“I think my biggest advice is and what I’ve learned is that it only heals if you’re emotionally free and peaceful and relaxed,” he said.
“You can’t fight it everyday so having a time frame in which you’re doing your rehab rather than a day by day structure is much more peaceful for the mind and much more efficient for the body to heal, and I think he’s been embracing that for the last couple of days and we’ll see in three weeks. But kind of having that time to relax [the] mind and let the body do it’s work and then be ready when you’re ready.”
As Orlando begins the final stretch of the regular season, the organization has made clear its priority is ensuring Wagner returns at full strength rather than rushing him back before he is ready.
