Moe Wagner Optimistic After Magic's Loss to Timberwolves: 'This Is a Long-Term Project'

The Orlando Magic lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Moritz Wagner still has championship aspirations.

The Orlando Magic is looking to return to its winning ways after losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 113-92. At one point this season, Orlando had won nine games in a row, was 14-5, second in the Eastern Conference, and looked like the next team up.

Since then, the Magic has slipped to 21-16, holding on to the eighth seed in the Conference.

Mo Wagner (21) of the Orlando Magic grabs a rebound.  / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

It's a massive improvement from last year, certainly, but definitely a regress from where Orlando stood earlier in the season. After seeing just how good this team can be on both ends of the floor, fans are feeling dejected with the recent skid.

That being said, the Magic is the fourth-youngest team in the league, has two stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, and an elite set of role players, almost all of whom are under 25 years old. If this isn't the year the Magic breaks through, the league will still need to be ready. 

"I appreciate these days just as much as wins," Mo Wagner said after Tuesday's loss. "It's just part of it. You're not going to win a championship in a week or a day. This is a long-term project... And these matter just as much as the wins. And it's not as cool of an answer if you don't win nine in a row but it's the same stuff."

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Despite starting the season as one of the hottest teams in the league, the Orlando Magic are still using this season to find their identity and experiment with the talent they have. Adding playoff experience for Banchero, Wagner, and Jalen Suggs would certainly speed up their development, but the Magic is on the come-up no matter how you look at things, even if recent performances have been disappointing.