Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner will never forget playing in his hometown of Berlin, Germany, but he understands what it will take to ensure the rest of the season goes smoothly.
Nearly a week has passed since the Orlando Magic’s 118-111 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Berlin, Germany, and Magic forward Franz Wagner is grateful for the experience he got to share with his teammate and brother, Moe, and fellow Magic forward Tristan da Silva.
For Wagner, the opportunity embodied everything he envisioned.
“Yeah, and more, for sure,” Wagner said. “It was super fun. A really, really cool experience. Me, Moe and Tristan, I think we'll definitely never forget. Hopefully, the other guys had a lot of fun out there, too.”
While Wagner and his teammates relished the experience, he expressed contentment in returning to Orlando.
“It was a long week, though. So, we're definitely happy to be back here.”
The Magic concluded their European trip with a loss to the Grizzlies in London, England, on Sunday, and they will not return to action until Thursday night, when they host the Charlotte Hornets. The days in between provide a chance for rest and recuperation.
“Yeah, just kind of regrouping, I think, after a long travel. And obviously, like I said, everybody's excited, I think, to sleep in their own bed and get to work tomorrow.”
Wedneday’s practice back in AdventHealth Training Center consisted of honing both sides of the ball and strength training.
“It was more of a kind of principal day on both sides of the floor,” Wagner said. And we split up the two groups and got a good lift in as well.”
For Wagner and his teammates, the trip to Europe provided a chance to reassess the season and the progress of the group. It also created moments for the players to bond with each other.
“I think so. I think it's having, like, a change of scenery like that. Obviously, a lot of guys had their families out there. I think we got a lot of time to do some stuff together with family. So, I think that brought us closer, which was really cool.”
Through 42 games, Wagner and the Magic understand how they need to improve and the importance of producing satisfactory results during the remainder of the regular season.
“Like I said, we're not where we want to be and it's on everybody in the building to make sure that we finish out the season the right way. And yeah, I think hopefully the result of that is stringing some wins together in a row and finding a rhythm as a team. And I think that happens when you focus on each day at a time; get better as a team on both sides of the ball.”
“And it's not just going to happen just because you say you want to win games. So, I think that should be the focus from here on out.”
Correction: A previous version of this article listed Moe Wagner in the title. A correction has been made to reflect the proper attribution to Franz Wagner.