Orlando Magic Franz Wagner is working hard to return from an ankle sprain in time for his team's game in Berlin, Germany against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Orlando Magic have arrived in Berlin, Germany to kick off their European circuit against the Memphis Grizzlies which features games in Berlin and London. For brothers Franz and Moe Wagner, the chance to represent the Orlando Magic in the place they call home is a momentous occasion.
“Yeah, really special,” forward Franz Wagner told the media after Tuesday’s shoot around at Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin. “Honestly, a little surreal. And yeah, obviously, I want to make the most of it.”
Now that his older brother, Moe, has returned after recovering from an ACL tear he suffered in December 2024, Wagner is hoping to make his way back from a high ankle sprain he suffered over a month ago in time for the Jan. 15 showdown. On Tuesday, he practiced and provided an encouragingoutlook afterward.
“I feel good,” he said. “It felt good to move a little bit after the long flight, and I'm excited for Thursday.”
The chance to play in front of his native Germany not only encompasses the personal aspect for Wagner but also the bigger picture.
“Yeah, it will be really cool; just really excited for Thursday. It's going to be a great day, obviously, not just for everybody at the game, but I think for German basketball in general. So, I'm excited to be a part of that.”
Since Wagner has been absent from the rotation, the Magic have gone 8-8 and have not won consectuive games in well over a month. From Wagner’s perspective, there are several things the team needs to improve to get back to winning consistently.
“I think we've got to find a little bit back to our identity [sic]”, play a little better defense, and we'll continue to work on our half-court offense and figure out how we can be more effective,” Wagner said.
Wagner is no stranger to being sidelined with an injury. Last season, he missed 20 games with a torn right oblique that he suffered in December 2024 prior to his brother’s season-ending ACL tear. Wagner ended up returning late last January.
While Wagner is familiar with how a recovery process works, there is great contrast between the torn oblique and the high ankle sprain he suffered nearly a year to the day after.
“I mean, way different,” he said. “Obviously, last year I couldn't shoot, literally, for weeks at a time. So, it was different from that standpoint. And other than that, I mean, timewise, almost the exact same day.”
“But at the same time, I was obviously frustrated but also relieved at the same time that it wasn't anything worse. So, I couldn't really be mad at that.”
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