For the second time this season, a streaking Orlando Magic team has lost its leading scorer due to injury. And, coincidentally, for the second time this season, that injury happens to be a torn right oblique. The latest happened to forward Franz Wagner, which will sideline him indefinitely, after Paolo Banchero suffered the same injury in late October.
Orlando started the season 3–1 when Banchero was hurt in the fifth game as he was leading the team, and among the NBA leaders, with 29 points per game. While he was given a timeline to return of four-to-six weeks, it’s now been five-and-a-half weeks for Banchero, and he’s yet to even return to practice. Once he got hurt, Orlando preceded to drop five games in a row, until Wagner then asserted himself and took over as the team’s best player.
That spurred Orlando to a six-game win streak, immediately following that five-game losing streak, and the Magic had posted a 13–2 record over its last 15 games before Friday’s 102–94 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, a matchup in which Wagner got hurt. Even with the in-game injury, he still played a game-high of 38 minutes, scored 30 points, and also produced five rebounds and five assists.
The play in which the injury apparently occurred happened with about four minutes left in the third quarter, when Wagner drove to his left down the lane. When he went up for a finish, he was bumped on his right side by Sixers center Guerschon Yabusele and drew a foul. Wagner then immediately grabbed his right oblique area but stayed in the game, just as Banchero did after his injury.
Injuries never come at a good time, but this latest ailment for Orlando comes at arguably the worst time for the team, considering what’s ahead of it next week. Orlando clinched a wild card berth in the 2024 NBA Cup, and its quarterfinal matchup takes place on Tuesday. The Magic will visit the Milwaukee Bucks, with the winner then advancing to the semifinals on Saturday. The NBA Cup Final then takes place on Tuesday, Dec. 17, and the Magic will definitely be without Wagner, and likely be without Banchero, for however long their NBA Cup run lasts.
Additionally, eight of Orlando’s next 10 games are against Eastern Conference opponents, and how it fares in those contests could have a big impact on potential postseason seeding and playoff tiebreakers.
In his fourth season, Wagner is having a career year with personal bests across the board. He’s averaging 24.4 points, 5.7 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. He received his first-ever NBA Player of the Week award in mid-November, ranks fifth in the NBA in total points, and fourth in total steals entering play on Saturday. He’s scored 20-plus points in each of his last nine games, while his number of 30-point games (eight) and double-doubles (two) are already more than he had all of last season.
His 30 points in Friday’s loss to Philadelphia was also his third straight 30-point game, making franchise history in the process. It is the second time that Wagner has scored 30-plus in three straight, joining NBA Hall of Famers Shaquille O’Neal (14 times) and Tracy McGrady (13 times) as the only players to score 30-plus points in three straight games multiple times in a Magic uniform.
Wagner’s increased production was the main reason why Orlando remained near the top of the NBA standings following Banchero’s injury. The team is 16–9 overall, sitting as the No. 3 seed in the East. Given his numbers, Orlando’s status in the East, and with the team advancing to the knockout stage of the NBA Cup, Wagner would have received strong consideration for his first All-Star Game appearance. Now, the Magic will simply hope to have him back before the All-Star break, which is still two months away. But with how long it’s taking Banchero to return from the same injury, there’s no guarantee Wagner will take the court again before the break.
The Magic will now have to go deep into their roster without their two best players and leading scorers, and putting points on the scoreboard may be an issue. Outside of Wagner and Banchero, only two other players are averaging in double-figures. One is fourth-year guard Jalen Suggs at 15.5 points, and the other is Franz Wagner’s older brother, Moe Wagner, at 12.8 points.
One thing Orlando can still hang its hat on is its suffocating defense. The Magic lead the NBA in points allowed per game and rank among the top three in both steals per game and blocks per game. The team has its sights set on another postseason appearance after being eliminated in seven games in the first round by the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. The Magic have not won a postseason series since the 2010 NBA playoffs, and that 14-year drought is the fourth-longest active streak.
