It has become the practice before Orlando Magic shootarounds lately for Jamahl Mosley to go down the list of injured players. The injury report is that long and he knows the media will ask him about each player individually.
Actually, the injury report is so long that we in the media will often forget to ask about every player. Mosley too will forget players without his sheet.
The injury report for Thursday was long enough as it is:
- Jamahl Mosley said Franz Wagner went through shootaround and is progressing well. They will see what the day brings for him after shootaround as he is QUESTIONABLE to play.
- Goga Bitadze is going through on-court work to see how he feels and try to get some clearance in the concussion protocol. Bitadze is still in the non-contact portion of the protocol but he was upgraded to DOUBTFUL ahead of Thursday's game.
- Gary Harris, Jett Howard and Jalen Suggs went through on-court workouts to see how they feel and respond to today's workout. Harris and Howard are QUESTIONABLE for Thursday's game and Suggs remains OUT.
- Jonathan Isaac should be available and went through the team's shootaround Thursday.
- Cole Anthony was not at the team's shootaround and the Magic hope he can get some rest to recover from the illness that kept him out of Tuesday's game in Toronto.
That was a mouthful. But it was undeniable that despite the team's four-game losing streak, spirits were lifted at seeing so many players back on the court.
The vibes for the Magic seem to be coming back.
"It's good vibes," Tristan da Silva said. "Obviously, we're all happy to have [Wagner] back just slowly creeping back in. It's good to see more bodies out there and actually have our top players coming back. There are good spirits. Obviously, looking forward to the games where everybody's back. Just because we've had a massive amount of guys being down. Just optimism."
That feeling of optimism was seen throughout the gym Thursday morning.
On one basket, Harris and Howard were going through their paces and working on one-on-one shooting drills. On another basket, Jonathan Isaac was working on free throws and going through his paces.
On another basket, Jalen Suggs was doing shooting drills with teammates and then going through an individual workout. On another basket, Goga Bitadze was working around a dummy pad and putting up dunks in his recovery.
Franz Wagner's impending return
There was an undoubted energy the Orlando Magic were close to looking whole again. And nothing signals that more than the Magic upgrading Wagner's status to QUESTIONABLE while he continues to play coy about whether he would actually play Thursday night against the Portland Trail Blazers.
"It means I might play, I might not," Wagner said after shootaround Thursday. "We'll see how the day goes. It feels really good. It was a long process and I'm not the most patient person. It wasn't easy for me. It feels good to be done with it."
It certainly sounds like Wagner has put the recovery part of his rehab behind him. It is simply about getting the final go-ahead to play. It seems very likely that will come Thursday.
Like Paolo Banchero, he is not going to be able to rush back and get right back to the 25-point-per-game scorer he was before the injury. He knows he has to give himself time to adjust and grow back into the NBA season. That could be hard since Wagner admitted he is not a patient person and waiting to return was a lot for him.
Undoubtedly still, the Magic are eager to see Wagner and the Magic healthy again. They want to be whole again.
Relief from injury
And it could not have come at a better time with the team seemingly succumbing to injuries and struggling to maintain their defensive identity. The Orlando Magic have lost four straight and slid down the standings. It has been frustrating for everyone.
Player returns will be a breath of fresh air and energy, even if it takes time for players to return to full strength.
"I think you can recognize who those pieces are that are coming back," Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Thursday. "Having a team that at some point will be whole. This team hasn't been whole other than five games this year. I think that's very important for us to register and recognize. Getting guys back slowly and we've seen the rehab guys have done and the work they have put in to get themselves back on the court. Just to join the group again is so important and it does lift guys' spirits up a ton."
The Magic have had to balance this understanding of what they have been missing and the standard they have set for themselves to win. With just eight players available Thursday, there was a lot of frustration for things they cannot control.
Mosley has held this team to a high standard, but even he has publicly acknowledged how much the injuries have worn on them. He tipped his hat to all the players who have played during this period and to his coaching staff for keeping the team prepared.
Everyone is ready to feel healthy again.
"I think there is a major difference between grace and excuses," Mosley said after shootaround Thursday. "Grace tells you there are certain realities you cannot avoid. You can't avoid that guys get hurt, you can't avoid guys stepping out of the game. You've got to give a guy grace for what they are going through. But you can also not make excuses because if you are able to put your shoes on and you're able to step on the floor, you're able to compete the way the Magic compete every single night. That's what's expected if you're going to strap it up and play."
That is all the team could do: Look forward. Now they seemingly have somthing to look forward to. That has lifted the team's energy a bit.
The proof will be in who is available nightly and how the Magic sustain that energy on the court. Orlando is almost out of this rough period. But they cannot wait, they still have to attack every opportunity and every game.