The Orlando Magic suffered a blow to the health of their core on Tuesday by learning that forward Franz Wagner suffered a right calf strain in the Magic’s 94-88 Game 4 win over the Detroit Pistons to take a 3-1 lead.

Wagner exited Game 4 late in the third quarter and did not return. After the game, he was seen heading back to the locker room with a noticeable limp and told reporters that he felt his right calf tighten up.

The team announced the news and made it clear that Wagner’s availability is dependent on his response to treatment, which leaves his status for a decisive Game 5 in Detroit on Wednesday unknown. If Wagner is unable to play, it will be a gut punch for a Magic team that is on the cusp of upsetting the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Here is why:

While Wagner has proven to be an offensive star plenty of times, so much of his value during the first round of the playoffs has been predicated on his defense, especially when taking the assignment of guarding Pistons star Cade Cunningham.

Wagner has continued to make Cunningham’s life difficult throughout the series with his size and strength, which has contributed to Cunningham committing 24 turnovers over his last three games, the most since the stat began tracking in 1977-78. Additionally, Cunningham has shot over 50% from the field just once through four games against the Magic.

Wagner’s ability to switch also makes him a reliable matchup against not only Cunningham, but Detroit’s other guard and wing options as well.

The Magic’s offense has not been their strong suit, and that makes the loss of Wagner much more consequential as he is a player who is more than capable of handling the ball and creating his own shot. 

Orlando still has the services of Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs to rely on, and each of them also have ball handling and shot creation capabilities, but, with the exception of Bane, the trio has often struggled to score efficiently because of the Pistons’ defensive effort.

In Game 4, Bane was the most efficient of the three, and even though he hit five of his 10 3-point attempts and led the team with 22 points, he shot 7-18 overall. Meanwhile, Banchero and Suggs struggled mightily and combined to go just 5-31 from the field and 1-15 from the perimeter.

Before exiting the game, Wagner had notched 19 points on 7-15 shooting. He has proven to struggle at times during the series, but his absence will only allow the Pistons to put more pressure on Bane, Banchero and Suggs.

A calf strain is an injury that can take weeks to heal, and the Magic need to be prepared for such a scenario with Wagner. Now, a potential extended absence begs the question about who they can lean on.

While Wagner missed the better part of four months with a left ankle injury during the regular season, Orlando turned to Tristan da Silva to start in his place. The efforts of Jamal Cain, especially in Game 4, also provide an encouraging sign, but neither possess the same level of talent or impact as Wagner.

The Magic have been well-acquainted with the adversity that stems from injuries, and they will have to lean on that experience yet again.