It was exactly a month ago. After losing Paolo Banchero, the Magic had to learn to compose without Franz Wagnervictim, like his teammate, of a tear in the right external oblique muscle. This double package was a terrible setback for the Magic, who were then in 3rd place in the East, even if the fighting values and intensity of the rest of Jamahl Mosley's group helped to compensate.
For Franz Wagner too, who was playing his best basketball and had just been voted “player of the week”, the pill was hard to swallow. But the German winger confided yesterday that he had been more affected by his brother's injury, two weeks later, Moritz Wagner having ruptured a cruciate ligament in his knee, than by his own.
“Honestly, mentally, I was fine. The first few days are always tough, but I found that I was in a pretty good frame of mind. And then this thing happened with my brother. I would say it had more impact. It's always difficult to see someone fall like that. To see up close how much it can change someone's life. I would say it was harder”he admitted.
A “weird” injury…
If Moritz Wagner's season is already over, Franz's rehabilitation phase was coming to an end yesterday. The player is scheduled to be re-evaluated today after the group returns from New York.
“I think I have progressed very well. Now I just continue to get back in shape and make sure we don't skip any steps, because I don't want to get injured again. So let's just say I'm at a bit of a weird point, but I'm feeling pretty good. Normally, when you get injured, your foot or your knee or something else, and you're out, you have trouble walking, that kind of thing. But there is none of that here. It's just a little weird mentally, because it doesn't really hurt. But you also know that you’re not really ready yet.”
His return is in any case impatiently awaited, especially since beyond Moritz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Gary Harris are also missing. This week, the Magic remains in Florida with receptions from Minnesota, Milwaukee, then Philadelphia, the team against which Franz Wagner was injured…
| Franz Wagner | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | ENT | 79 | 31 | 46.8 | 35.4 | 86.3 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 15.2 |
| 2022-23 | ENT | 80 | 33 | 48.5 | 36.1 | 84.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
| 2023-24 | ENT | 72 | 33 | 48.2 | 28.1 | 85.0 | 1.0 | 4.3 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 2.3 | 1.1 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 19.7 |
| 2024-25 | ENT | 26 | 32 | 46.5 | 32.1 | 88.1 | 0.9 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 23.5 |
| Total | 257 | 32 | 47.7 | 33.0 | 85.4 | 1.0 | 3.7 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 2.2 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 0.4 | 18.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
