Just a few days ago, Orlando Magic All-Star Paolo Banchero made his return from his injury after over two months on the sidelines. Despite still being on a minutes restriction, Banchero’s presence provides a huge boost to the Magic. Fortunately for the Magic, the good news keeps coming. According to Magic beat writer Jason Beede, Franz Wagner, though still out, is likely beginning his reconditioning before returning to the court from his injury.
NEWS: Although Franz Wagner remains OUT, the #Magic are expected to upgrade his injury description from “Torn Right Oblique” to “Return to Competition Reconditioning” Tuesday, the @orlandosentinel.com has learned.
A major step for Wagner just over 5 weeks removed from his injury. #NBASky
— Jason Beede (@jbeede.bsky.social) January 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Wagner, who was in the midst of a career year, has been out of action since early December due to an oblique injury.
Orlando Magic Star Forward Receives Major Injury News
Franz Wagner’s Season Before His Injury
Before suffering his injury, the German native appeared in and started 25 games. In those games, he averaged 24.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals. All these numbers are career bests for Wagner so far. Additionally, he is shooting 46.5% from the field and 32.1% from beyond the arc. Now in his fourth season in the league, Wagner has finally started to establish himself as an All-Star talent in the league. Because of his absence, he is unlikely to earn the nod this year. However, an All-Star appearance is likely in his near future.
In November. Magic teammate Jalen Suggs spoke about Wagner’s growth and called him “special.”
“Special. He’s been special since the day that we got drafted together. It’s really cool. He’s so intellectual, a bit calmer and I’m a bit crazier. I’m unpredictable. So it’s really cool. I get to learn from somebody that is a bit of my opposite. We share a lot of the same core values in terms of character, love and competitiveness. We can grow and bounce off of each other. It’s been amazing to see him grow and see him be aggressive with really picking apart the game both physically and mentally.
The Last Word
The returns of Banchero and eventually Wagner are huge for Orlando. Despite both of them missing a significant amount of time, the Magic are 23-18 and own the No. 4 seed in the East. Though their offense (which scores the fewest points per game) is nothing special statistically, this likely has a lot to do with their injuries. On the other hand, the Magic’s 107.1 DRTG ranks as the second-best in the NBA. This is only behind the Oklahoma City Thunder. Furthermore, the Magic only allow 103.2 points per game, the fewest in the NBA.
There is a lot to like about Orlando this season. They are a young team but are still competing at a high level even when not fully healthy. With Banchero and Wagner, the sky is the limit for them. It is unlikely they win a title this year. However, at this rate, they could be in the title picture sooner rather than later.
