Magic ahead Franz Wagner has been identified with a torn proper indirect and can be sidelined indefinitely, in keeping with Shams Charania of ESPN, who experiences that Wagner can be reevaluated in 4 weeks.
The Magic have confirmed the information (Twitter link). The damage occurred throughout Friday’s recreation in Philadelphia.
It’s a brutal blow for an Orlando staff that has already been with out one star, Paolo Banchero, for greater than a month. Not solely will Wagner be part of his fellow ahead on the injured checklist, however he has sustained primarily the identical damage — Banchero has been out since Oct. 30 as a consequence of a torn proper indirect of his personal.
Wagner served because the second possibility on offense behind Banchero for the previous couple seasons, however the Magic gave him a five-year, maximum-salary extension in July, signaling their confidence in his potential to proceed creating into an All-Star caliber participant. His star flip was going down this fall as he took the reins of Orlando’s offense with Banchero sidelined.
In 20 video games with out Banchero accessible up to now this season, Wagner has averaged 26.1 factors, 6.3 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 35.0 minutes per contest.
Banchero said in mid-November that he hoped to return to the courtroom by Christmas, although he admitted that was his personal purpose and wouldn’t essentially be accredited by the Magic’s medical staff. Even when Banchero meets that timeline, Orlando will seemingly should get by for at the very least a pair extra weeks with out both of its prime two scorers.
Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner have been the Magic’s next-best scorers behind Wagner in latest weeks and can be requested to tackle further scoring duties. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Anthony Black, Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony and Goga Bitadze are among the many others who determine to be leaned upon extra on that facet of the ground. Nevertheless, it appears protected to imagine the Magic, who already rank simply twenty fourth within the NBA with a 110.3 offensive ranking, might have some hassle scoring within the rapid future.
After beginning the season with a 3-6 document, Orlando has gained 13 of its final 16 video games and sits at 16-9, good for third within the Japanese Convention. That sturdy begin ought to assist the membership keep afloat till they get Banchero and Wagner again.
