'Really Cool' For Orlando Magic to Play Meaningful Games, Says Franz Wagner

The Orlando Magic has been out of the playoffs the past couple of seasons, so it might not be used to playing games that mean a lot in the later stages of the season.

Apr 1, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) shoots the ball over / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

The Orlando Magic has made the playoffs for the first time since the 2019-2020 season, and that means that the games that the team is playing right now actually mean something.

For the past several seasons, the team has played meaningless games in the final stages of the regular season, as it was out of playoff contention. That is not the case this year, and forward Franz Wagner talked more about that feeling in his postgame interview after the Magic's recent win against the New Orleans Pelicans.

"It's not a lot of fun playing meaningless games at this point of the year," Wagner said. "The last two years we were not in the same spot, so it's really cool for us to have every game mean a lot. Hopefully we get a good spot for the playoffs, because I think that's really cool for everybody."

Apr 1, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) shoots the ball over / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Towards the end of the season, the teams that know they are not making the playoffs usually start trying less and preparing for the next season. This means that regular starters will be rested more and bench players will get extended minutes.

The Magic cannot afford to do that at the moment, as it is currently still up in the air what seed the team is going to end the season with. It currently sits in in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, just half a game ahead of the New York Knicks, and half a game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Magic will be looking to contine rising in the standings in its next game on the road against the Charlotte Hornets on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET from the Spectrum Center.