Moe Wagner, Magic Search for Positives after Season-Ending ACL Injury

Orlando Magic center Moe Wagner, who was proving to be one of the NBA's best bench players, said the immediate aftermath to his knee injury has been "hell." The Magic, already without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, on Monday play the Boston Celtics.

Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner before action against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Magic center Moe Wagner sported a leg-length brace and crutches the same color as his all-black outfit.

Instead of gearing up to take on the defending champion Boston Celtics, Wagner is adjusting to a reality that isn't yet 48 hours old. On Saturday night, his season came to an abrupt end after tearing his ACL. Now, Wagner needs those crutches to go anywhere.

"It's hell," said Wagner, 27. "You're kind of looking for a moment where you feel like you can walk the hill back up. Obviously emotional because you realize the biggest part for me is that you just don't get to play basketball for a while, you know. Competing is one thing, winning [and] the NBA and all that is cool, but what you're really trying to do is just play and you don't get to do that for a while."

Wagner's focus on a night-to-night basis was providing a spark as one of the NBA's best bench scorers. In the aftermath of his injury, his immediate focus has little to do with basketball.

"Those challenges always make you appreciate the little things in life," Wagner said. "A dear friend of mine said, 'You're going to come out of this the best version of yourself.' Again, I'm a competitor, so I'm not excited for rehab. But it's another challenge that you kind of grow with.

"I'm trying my best to stay very positive and see how it is [and] just go with the flow."

As he answered seven minutes' worth of questions, the positive side of his attitude subconsciously shined through. Even in reflecting on the exact moment of his injury, he comes ready with quips and a smile.

"I'm not a doctor, so I don't know how that feels," Wagner said with a chuckle, "but I knew something was wrong. I think you can kind of see me trying to get up and act like — play it off in a way. But as soon as I knew I couldn't get up, I knew something was off. It was a very slow moment, and you can just feel it, you know, got very emotional after that. The pain is one thing, but the emotional reaction to that is pretty overwhelming."

Orlando Magic center Moe Wagner met the media on Monday to discuss his torn left ACL and his next steps for recovery. / Mason Williams, Orlando Magic on SI

Wagner said he'd be a hypocrite to say he's perfected his process of finding insight and silver linings in every situation. Knowing that, he's channeling his intentions toward the eventual moment that he can see the other side of this.

For the Magic, this injury is different from the ones that Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner suffered. While sidelined, they have been able to remain with the team and stay engaged as much as possible. Their return this season is a matter of "when," not "if."

Moe Wagner's situation features no "ifs," and his "when" won't come at any point in the foreseeable future. That leaves Orlando, like Wagner, searching for positives.

For Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, the team's recovery boils down to three words: perspective, opportunity and belief.

"You've got to keep the proper perspective when you touch that floor. because it's not promised. You have to have the appreciation for the game," Mosley said. "Then you talk about the opportunity you get. You look at TQ (Trevelin Queen) getting the opportunity, you look at Cole Anthony getting the opportunity because of the situation. Then the last part is the belief system. You have to believe in what we've done. You have to believe in who we are, how hard we've worked, [and] the standard that we've set.

"That's not going to change regardless of who is on the floor and believing you can do it no matter the night."

Matchups and availability will determine Orlando's rotations going forward. The Magic is down to Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze as their two main bigs, with Jonathan Isaac also available to play the five. Depending on what the Magic need, their situation will fluctuate on a "nightly" basis.

But as Wagner made his closing comments, before he struggled again across the practice facility floor, he expressed a vote of confidence in how the Magic will deal with his absence.

"I'll be fine," Wagner said. "This is an injury, I'll miss some games, and I'll be back next year. I don't want this to take away from the Magic and what they're going to do this year.

"It's gonna be amazing."

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

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