Franz Wagner is back for the Orlando Magic, and he is not hiding how badly he wanted the chance. After missing game after game with a high ankle sprain, Wagner returned last week against the Atlanta Hawks, giving Orlando a boost with only seven games left in the regular season.
Wagner said after shootaround Wednesday that the Magic still have a chance to reach the postseason, and that matters to him. He added that he loves basketball too much to sit out on purpose when he believes he can play, saying the thought would not sit well with him when he looks back on the season.
The Magic kept Wagner’s progress behind closed doors during a recovery that included two false starts, and the team was slow and cautious as it tried to protect his long-term health. That approach fit the reality of the calendar: by the time Wagner returned, there were only 10 days left and, most likely, only six games for him to play.
Read Also: Franz Wagner exits with left leg injury, later returns in Timberwolves game
This was also a player who has pushed through severe ankle sprains before and has a high threshold for pain. The article said Wagner wanted to play in his homecoming, a detail that helps explain why the return mattered to him even with the season down to its final stretch. For Orlando, the next step is simple: see how much Wagner can give in the games that remain, and whether that is enough to keep the postseason within reach.
