Magic's Franz Wagner Gets Positive Update to Injury Designation
ORLANDO, Fla. – Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner's return to basketball is getting closer: He is entering the "return to competition reconditioning" phase of his recovery from a torn right oblique injury, Magic on SI learned Tuesday.
The change in his injury status is reflected on the Magic's injury report for Wednesday night's game at the Milwaukee Bucks, the first stop in a two-city road trip. Wagner will remain out, missing his 17th consecutive game after suffering the abdominal muscle tear on Dec. 6.
"It just felt great to have him on the floor again," Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said at Tuesday's practice, the last session before departing for the trip north. Wagner went through a non-contact practice.
"I feel good. I think everything is going in a really good direction," Wagner said Tuesday. "I was able to do some more stuff on the court. The muscle is not the issue at this point. Just getting back in shape and making sure I check all the boxes before I go play a game.
"Today was pretty light, which was perfect for me," Wagner continued. "First time being with the team again, which was cool for me from the mental side."
The upgrade in status suggests his return is imminent. For the time being, he's maintaining that same patient approach he's had throughout as he deals with the closing stretch of his recovery.
"Even though I feel good [and] I can do more stuff, when you're out for a while, it takes time to get some of those things back," he said. "So, giving myself a little bit of a grace period. Other than that, i think everyone around me does a good job of not trying to have me go too fast too early. That's pretty helpful for me."
Before he faces live action, Wagner said he'll ramp up the volume and intensity of his workouts — playing against people in one-on-ones, two-on-twos, etc., as well as actual game situations. "Hopefully," Wagner said, "I react well to that and [then] I should be good to go."
Mosley mentioned the same grace period while noting that Wagner understands he won't be immediately perfect in his return. Rather, Wagner is aware of what he needs to do to get back in the lineup and stay there.
Through 25 games, Wagner is averaging career highs in points (24.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (5.7), and steals (1.7). Orlando is 16-9 in games in which he's appeared, and 20 of those contests came without his All-Star teammate Paolo Banchero.
Banchero returned from a right oblique tear on Friday, Jan. 10, ending a more than 10-week absence that spanned 34 games. From change in designation (Dec. 27) to return to action (Jan. 10), Banchero's "return to competition reconditioning" phase lasted two weeks or seven games.
After his first game back, Banchero said that he and Wagner had been talking throughout each other's recovery process, given the similarity of their injuries.
"He's doing a lot of the same stuff that I was doing in terms of steps of rehab," Banchero said Friday night. "I kind of know what that looks like, where he's at in his process, and you can tell he's starting to get that itch just to get back moving [and] get back in the fold. But he knows to stay patient. He's a pretty healthy guy and fast healer. ... The training staff is doing a great job and he's going to take however much time he needs, and he'll be back."
"Usually, I heal pretty fast honestly," Wagner said. "This [injury] probably has taken a little bit too long for myself, but sometimes you can't control these things. Just try to keep a positive mind and go day-by-day."
Up Next
Orlando faces the Bucks in the third matchup of a four-game season series. Tipoff is 8 p.m. ET Wednesday from Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.
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