In a crushing blow, Orlando Magic wing Franz Wagner has suffered a torn proper indirect muscle and shall be out indefinitely, the workforce introduced Saturday afternoon. Magic officers stated Wagner, 23, shall be re-evaluated in 4 weeks.
Wagner suffered the harm throughout the Magic’s slender loss Friday night time in Philadelphia. After that recreation, during which he performed 38 minutes and scored a game-high 30 factors, Wagner spoke with reporters and made no point out of an indirect harm. He additionally didn’t seem like in any uncommon discomfort.
With 22-year-old All-Star ahead Paolo Banchero nonetheless out, additionally with a torn proper indirect, the up-and-coming Magic should navigate a difficult mid-December schedule — together with Tuesday night time’s NBA Cup quarterfinal recreation towards the Bucks in Milwaukee — with out their two finest gamers.
The Magic hope Banchero, who suffered his indirect harm on Oct. 30 and has missed Orlando’s previous 20 video games, will return to play by Christmas, league sources instructed The Athletic.
Orlando has thrived regardless of Banchero’s absence. Within the 20 video games since Banchero sustained his harm, the Magic posted a 13-7 file. Of their previous 16 video games, the Magic have gone 13-3, they usually now sit in third place within the Jap Convention standings.
The primary causes for the Magic’s latest success? A tenacious protection with excellent positional dimension, and Wagner himself.
In Orlando’s previous 16 video games, Wagner put himself into the operating for his first profession All-Star choice and Most Improved Participant consideration, excelling on each ends of the ground. He averaged 27.6 factors, 5.8 rebounds and 6.6 assists per recreation over that stretch whereas capturing 46 p.c from the sphere and 91 p.c from the free-throw line.
Throughout that span, the Magic ranked first within the NBA in factors allowed per possession and fifteenth in factors scored per possession.
When Banchero returns, the Magic will want him to seek out his All-Star kind as quickly as doable. They may even want perimeter gamers Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to proceed to play excellent protection.
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(Prime photograph: Kyle Ross / Imagn Photographs)
