The Orlando Magic are playing some great basketball after a cold start to the regular season. The offense had limitations early on but finally caught rhythm. A big reason for the team’s success was the strong play of Franz Wagner, who was posting All-Star-caliber numbers prior to his ankle injury that will sideline him for the next couple of weeks.
Bleacher Report released an article highlighting every NBA team’s biggest problem as the league approaches the new year. The Magic’s problem: “The Revolving Door.”
"As soon as one of the Orlando Magic's two star forwards gets healthy, the other one goes down," the article wrote. "That was the case last year, when Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner alternated injuries and spent just 40 games on the floor together, and it's how this season is shaping up as well. In Banchero's second game since returning from a groin strain, Wagner went down with an ugly injury to his lower left leg. Aside from the obvious issue of preventing the Magic from having all their best players on the floor at the same time, this give and take has a way of turning success into a kind of failure. We just saw it happen as Orlando performed well during Banchero's absence, when all fans and pundits could talk about was whether the Magic were actually better off without the former No. 1 overall pick."
Orlando entered the season as one of the favorites in the Eastern Conference despite their constant injury concerns. When Paolo Banchero missed games this season, the offense rallied behind Wagner and Desmond Bane as they inched back into the playoff picture. Realistically, the Magic are not better without the 2022 No. 1 overall pick but now, the offense has flipped as the scoring will need to flow through Banchero instead of Wagner.
In a perfect world, Banchero and Wagner can both flourish on the floor together but the consistent injury concerns have prevented that from happening. Last season, both players missed a significant amount of time. Banchero only played 46 games while Wagner played 60. However, they’re not the only two players to get injured constantly. Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac have suffered multiple injuries throughout their tenure with Orlando. Both had been generally healthy this season until Suggs suffered a hip contusion last week.
There is no doubt Orlando has the talent to compete in the Eastern Conference but with their players consistently sidelined, it’s hard to be optimistic regarding their playoff outlook.