Orlando has been struggling with bad luck with injuries this season. The Wagner brothers were also affected. While Franz Wagner has long since been able to play again, his brother Moritz will miss the rest of the season. After the victory against the Bucks, their coach emphasized the importance of the missing Wagner brother for the Magic.
The injury curse has been a recurring theme throughout the Orlando Magic’s season – accordingly, the Florida franchise has recently weakened and only managed to win one of its last seven games. After Paolo Banchero was initially missing with an abdominal muscle injury, Franz Wagner then suffered the same injury later in the season. So the top two scorers were missing for an extended period of time, but the Magic are also currently without their third- and fourth-highest scorers.
Jalen Suggs (16.2 points per game) is still out with a knee injury, as is Moritz Wagner (12.9 PPG): the older of the two Wagner brothers is not expected to return until the new season after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. And that after he had his best season in the NBA so far before his injury.
Significantly worse record without Wagner
After the Magic were able to win a close game against the Bucks recently, their coach also commented on the absence of Orlando’s two key players: “Both Suggs and Wagner were their drivers. They were physical, they were both tough,” said the experienced coach, adding, ‘I think the absence of these two guys has absolutely hurt the team.’
By comparison, Orlando was 17-12 before Wagner’s injury. Without the big man, Jamahl Mosley’s team won just 12 of their 36 games. In fact, the Magic were only able to play five games with their top four scorers together. However, Suggs and Wagner are not only missing as scorers, but above all as emotional leaders: “I think it’s different finding that energy without them,” explained Mosley: “I think our guys are doing a good job of that, but we just have to find the energy in other ways.”
Wagner, at least, is now contributing his energy differently until the end of the season: he is temporarily serving as an assistant coach to the Magic.
