The Orlando Magic were missing something for most of their 2026 season.
Ever since Franz Wagner went down with a high ankle sprain in early December, the team struggled to find its identity. A 26-25 record in the 51 games between Wagner's injury and his permanent return on April 1 speaks to how the team struggled to find its way.
It is usually a knock against Paolo Banchero that the team went 7-3 in the 10 games Banchero missed with a strained groin in November.
That might need a bit of reframing. The issue may very well be that Wagner unlocks something in this team. It may very well be that he is the glue holding the team together because of his versatility and two-way play. He gives the team an advantage the team is built for that it loses when he is off the court.
The Playoffs certainly seemed to suggest this. The Magic looked like a juggernaut that could take down the top-seeded Detroit Pistons with him and fairly ordinary -- or downright bad -- without him.
After two injury-filled seasons -- he missed 20 games last year with a torn oblique -- it has become clear how much Wagner enhances everything the Magic do. He is the quintessential Magic player -- hard-nosed on defense, able to defend all five positions and slot in anywhere the team needs him.
And this season appeared to be what it looks like when Wagner is not around.
The team was never together
The way the series played out was the definition of how the season played out.
There was tons of potential and that potential was on display throughout the first four games of the series. Orlando just never saw that group together often enough.
The team's starting lineup of Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter played only +11.6 net rating (117.3 offensive rating/105.7 defensive rating) in 182 minutes and 19 games together. That ranked ninth among all lineups that played at least 150 minutes.
Injuries were the unfortunate story all season for Wagner.
He initially injured his left leg in early December. He had two false starts, returning for the games in Berlin and London, and then again for two games before the All-Star break. He came back for good in early April and looked rusty. But he was gaining speed and comfort as the playoff series went on.
Wagner admitted that he likely tried to push too hard to come back from his injury so he could play in his homecoming game in Berlin. The whole season was waiting for Wagner's return.
It left the Magic wondering what could have been all season.
"This is reality, and that's a what-if," Desmond Bane said after Game 7. "Franz has been a warrior. He has been fighting to get back from his ankle and his knee all season. He came back early to try to build some chemistry with us. I never doubt where Franz's heart is at. He wants what's best for the team, and that's just who he is. Injuries happen. It's unfortunate. He shouldn't feel that this isn't on him or any weight. Some of those things you can't control."
Any team will struggle playing without one of its best players. But Wagner seemed to be the one who could make the whole thing look cohesive. He elevated the team into a potential contender.
Wagner's season had its ups and downs because of his injury.
He played only 34 games, averaging 20.6 points per game. His 3-point shooting recovered to 34.5 percent after two seasons where he shot worse than 30 percent from deep. Before his injury (not including the game he got hurt), he averaged 23.4 points per game and shot 35.4 percent from three.
The Magic had a +3.6 net rating with Wagner on the floor this season, and that whole difference was on defense where the team was 3.0 points per 100 possessions better than its overall average.
Wagner's real impact was clearly seen in the Playoffs.
Wagner's impact on the series
If the Orlando Magic can hold onto something from their Playoff run, it is how good the team looked when all the pieces were together. The playoffs showed what this team was capable of -- and how precarious it was.
In the Playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, who had the top five-man lineup that played at least 150 minutes together during the regular season, the Orlando Magic's starting lineup had a +14.7 net rating (115.5/100.8) in 61 minutes. The Pistons' starting group had a -0.2 net rating through the first four games of the series.
Orlando had a +6.8 net rating with Wagner on the floor (104.8 offensive rating/98.0 defensive rating) during the series. He was that impactful.
Wagner's presence in the lineup was a major factor the entire season for the Magic. And it was a major factor in the series.
"When one of your best players goes down, it definitely changes a lot," Wendell Carter said in the locker room after Game 7. "Especially a guy like Franz. Franz's IQ for the game, his will, his determination. He is one of the ultimate competitors and one of the best teammates I've ever had. So when he went down, it was tough for sure. But we still gave ourselves a chance, even with him being out. I think we just drank the Kool-Aid."
Wagner's biggest impact was on the defensive end.
Without Wagner in the lineup, the Magic struggled to find a functional scheme to slow Cade Cunningham down.
Cunningham scored 45, 32 and 32 in the final three games and shot 33 for 64 (51.6 percent) from the field. He averaged 29.5 points per game with 6.8 turnovers per game and 42.4-percent shooting in the first four games.
Wagner does not get enough credit for his defense. But the biggest factor for the team was that Wagner gave them a huge matchup advantage. His 6-foot-10 versatility gives the Magic two big players that teams struggle to match up with.
It was clear Wagner was not fully up and running offensively, but he still came up big with huge fourth quarters in Games 1 and 3 to deliver critical victories. Wagner is the Magic's biggest advantage.
There is seemingly little concern these injury issues will linger. He played in more than 70 games in his first three seasons and still hit 60 games even with the oblique injury.
If Orlando has Wagner for more than three-quarters of the season, the team should feel confident it can be the best version of itself.
Add us as a preferred source on Google