In the third quarter of the Orlando Magic’s game against the LA Clippers, the team was struggling a bit to find some momentum. They need a play to give them some energy and flip the game around. More importantly, they needed some free points.
Moritz Wagner is never afraid to do what he has to do to wake his team up. He has a bit of a reputation for it at this point.
So he did what he always does, went up for a rebound, and when he did not get it, hustle back to the other end of the floor.
It was not his fault that Isaiah Hartenstein’s arm was in the way or that Moritz Wagner took advantage to flail back when he made contact, drawing a foul and a technical that was confirmed on review.
The television cameras at the Staples Center caught his brother Franz Wagner laughing a bit. The replays seemed to show Moritz Wagner embellishing the contact a bit. But the referees called it the way they called it.
This is not new for Wagner though. Against the Atlanta Hawks, he drew a foul with a dramatic throwing of his arms. Again, the refs gave him the call.
Moritz Wagner has shown he is not afraid to mix things up or get under an opponent’s skin. But for the Orlando Magic, it is his energy and team mentality that has made him valuable.
Wagner has that reputation for being someone who stirs the pot a bit. In the Bubble, he notably got suspended a game for getting in Giannis Antetokounmpo’s face and fouling him hard. This is someone who will not back down.
That is something the Magic need. Becuase the Magic have found Wagner to be so much more than that instigator. The instigation is just his energy overflowing at times. He has been a solid contributor beyond that.
"“Moe Wagner is tremendous,” coach Jamahl Mosley said after Wednesday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks. “That’s what he brings every single day to practice and every single game. He is bringing energy no matter what. He is lifting guys up. His spirit is fantastic. When he comes out there and makes hustle plays and makes big shots, he is keeping the energy of our guys up which is fantastic out there.”"
Wagner is averaging 6.3 points per game and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.0-percent from beyond the arc. He has a 56.4-percent effective field goal percentage.
Unlike his older brother, who is a central figure for this team, Wagner is not always playing meaningful minutes.
He has played in 26 of the team’s 29 games to date. And many of those minutes and most significant minutes happened in garbage time. That explains why the Magic have a -6.7 net rating when Wagner is on the floor, the third-best mark on the team.
Orlando has had some really good garbage time lineups. And Wagner has been a big part of that.
But Wagner has had some good games and made some critical shots — he led the team with 19 points in Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks. He is a solid 3-point shooter for a player his size. Add that with his ability to mix things up physically, he tends to get under opponents’ skins and help the Magic in the minutes he plays.
"His energy is contagious,” R.J. Hampton said after Wednesday’s loss to the Hawks. “Moe is a guy that is going to work for everybody on the floor and from the bench. That’s a guy you like to play with. He has your back. He’s going to take responsibility and accountability for things he does and also tells us when we’re messing up. as a leader myself, I feel like he is good at that. I like to get to that level and bring that energy every game.”"
It is easy to forget that Wagner is one of the older players on the team. At 24 years old, Wagner is only younger than Robin Lopez, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and Mychal Mulder among the current active roster (E’Twaun Moore and Michael Carter-Williams are also older). His three years of playing experience certainly do not suggest he is the old head of the group.
That is the situation the team is in. There are a lot of young players and so younger players with their flaws are taking the lead.
Still, this perspective from Wagner is really important and speaks to some of the transformations Wagner has gone through.
Last year in his brief stint with the Magic, Wagner put up tons of points and showed he could spread the floor. But he was certainly inconsistent everywhere else. It was a lot of meaningless basketball as the injury-depleted Magic just tried to get through the season.
Wagner has made it a point this year to be focused on his preparedness and working for his team. And that is what makes him a perfect player for this group and the kind of culture they are trying to build.
"“My thing going into this year was I didn’t care about myself,” Wagner said after Wednesday’s loss. “I just want every time people to know that I’m there for them. They can talk to me. I’ll be talking to them. And bring energy. The rest will happen. I am trying to get away from thinking about the game too much and play and simplify the game a little bit for me and my teammates. That’s been a challenge for me. I think I have a lot more to improve on that end energy-wise. Because if you are an energy person, you have to bring it every day regardless of personal mood or circumstance. I have a lot of room for improvement there as well.”"
That is the biggest challenge. That is a challenge for all of the players on this team. Finding consistent energy and attention to detail is a big issue for all of them.
Wagner is not among the players the Magic are keenly focused on for their long-term development. But he is with the team because of his energy and because he can provide that little mix to boost the team. And hit a 3-pointer when he is left open.
Wagner has really embraced and accepted his role with this team. And that has given the group a huge boost when he plays.