The Orlando Magic were just coming back together. They were just starting to feel what they could be at full force after Paolo Banchero returned from a three-week absence with a strained left groin.
After playing just 96 minutes in six games with Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero last year and having a starting lineup this year that has posted the best net rating among groups that played at least 100 minutes, the Magic were ready to unleash it on the rest of the league.
It all came crashing down in an instant. Now the Magic face loads of questions and a new test.
With about 4.5 minutes to play in the first quarter, the Magic were on a fast break when Anthony Black attempted to throw a lob to Franz Wagner, when Ariel Hukporti came in late to deflect the lob away.
Wagner landed awkwardly after the block attempt, his knee hyperflexed and trapped beneath him. He stayed on the court for a while before being helped off the floor by Moe Wagner and Noah Penda back to the locker room. He did not put any weight on his left knee as he was helped to the back.
“You never want to see anybody go down, but that hurt my heart watching him hit the floor,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after Sunday’s loss. “Just praying everything is going to be OK with him. You don’t like to see that happen, especially Boogie [Wagner], who does everything the right way at all times when he is on the floor.”
The Magic had some moments of clarity, but the rest of the game was played in a daze. Orlando was unable to create the same downhill force and offensive consistency, missing one of their key cogs in a 106-100 loss to the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Now the Magic are facing another major test.
Wagner finished with seven points and three rebounds on 3-for-4 shooting in 7:17 before leaving with his injury. The Magic were up by four at the time and seemed set to battle the Knicks once again.
It all literally came crashing down with Wagner’s injury. Suddenly, there was a major hole offensively to fill, and Orlando was not able to fill it.
But this is what the Magic will need to figure out. They will need to figure out their formula to survive for however long Wagner is out.
It starts in the paint
What the Orlando Magic missed most, then, on Sunday was Franz Wagner’s determination to get downhill and get to the basket. That is the attitude and attack that powers this Magic offense.
They entered Sunday’s game fourth in the league with 54.7 points in the paint per game. Wagner scored 52.0 percent of his 23.4 points per game (entering Sunday’s game) in the paint. He was a demon at getting downhill.
That is what is at the heart of the Magic’s entire offensive strategy. And a big piece of the puzzle they lose without Wagner.
It was the most noticeable thing missing from Sunday’s loss to the New York Knicks.
New York held Orlando to just 42 points in the paint (on 21-for-43 shooting), marking the second-fewest points in the paint the team has scored this season. The Magic had only 24 free throw attempts — for a team that averages nearly 30 free throw attempts per game.
Orlando ended up settling a lot for threes, going 12 for 42 from deep. It was the most 3-point attempts in a game this season for the Magic.
That is simply not Orlando’s game. This is a team that wants to batter teams getting downhill and use that to set up the team’s 3-point shooting.
Perhaps a big piece of this puzzle is Paolo Banchero returning to full health. He struggled as he continued to ease his way back into the lineup after missing the past three weeks with a strained left groin.
Banchero finished with 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting, making three of his six threes and going to the line to make five of his six attempts. Banchero is the Magic’s top driver and he is typically a battering ram to the rim. But he is trying to be more patient and keep the ball moving as he gets his wind.
The Magic will need to find their identity in the paint without Wagner. And that is what was most noticeably lacking in Sunday’s loss.
“I think we responded well,” Jalen Suggs said after Sunday’s loss. “We’ll be fine. We will assess where we’re at and he’s at, and go forward. We get another one Tuesday.”
The Magic indeed stayed in the game. Their deep bench crew cut the deficit to six. This Magic team will always fight. And that is the most important trait for a young Orlando team fighting through adversity.
Prepared to play without him
The only good news then is that the Orlando Magic have had plenty of experience playing without their stars and have this next-man-up mentality built in.
The team rallied without Paolo Banchero for the past three weeks with several players snapping out of early season funks to elevate the team.
Desmond Bane found his footing in the time Paolo Banchero was out. And he is in a much better place. Bane was critical in helping the Magic stay in the game after they gave up the first 13 points of the second half, scoring 10 of his 16 points in the third quarter.
What the Magic know full well is that it takes everyone pulling their weight to replace such a key player. They found a way to fill in and step up.
They will have to do so again.
“We’ve been here before,” Mosley said after Sunday’s loss. “You always lean on the things that have happened in the past a little bit to take that experience, but we’ve got to learn from it. What are we going to do and how are we going to play? We talk about our depth and our defense being our strong suit. Our guys are going to have to step up to the plate depending on how long guys are out for.”
This is all another test.
No team gets through a season perfectly. There is always adversity to overcome. The Magic have seemingly had to overcome more than most. But they have always found a way.
For however long Wagner is out, the Magic will have to make due. If this team is as good as they think they can be, they will find a way to hold the boat steady and keep improving to set themselves up for the spring.