The Orlando Magic introduced their entire team before the first home game. They make a show of it too, bringing out the entire entertainment crew, extra screens and all the pomp and circumstance to start the season.
Moe Wagner was not going to play. He was still rehabbing his torn ACL suffered last December. But as he approached the stage for his introduction, the ground at the Kia Center seemed to shake.
Fans saw the familiar big man stepping up and gave one of their loudest cheers of the whole introduction. Perhaps a cheer only eclipsed by Jalen Suggs' return to the starting lineup and the team's two stars, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Moe Wagner still has a lot of meaning to Magic fans and still has a lot to contribute to this team. Seeing him on the floor, even in this introductory capacity, was enough to get everyone excited.
Now he has to find a way back to the court. He is rehabbing his knee injury and still undergoing individual workouts and training. Nobody is expecting him to jump back onto the court for contact for another few weeks.
The time away from the court has given Wagner a new perspective as he works his way back and a new appreciation of the game and of life.
"For me, generally, basketball is one thing. But you want to get this right," Wagner said at media day last month. "You only have one body and one career. I'm not rehabbing every day for hours to get it almost right. I want to get it all the way right. This is my baby. I have been taking care of it for nine months. Regardless of the circumstances, I will be ready."
Wagner is not one to take any of this for granted. He hopes to have a long career. The Magic should certainly be eager to have him back, considering how much they have missed his offensive ability and energy with that second unit -- particularly looking at the team's struggles right now in both of those categories.
But Wagner also has the patience to make sure he uses this injury time to get his body right. He has used this time to get a new perspective on his time in the NBA.
Working his way back
Moe Wagner was in the middle of a career season, helping the Orlando Magic survive their litany of injuries with his scoring and energy, when he went down with a torn ACL just before Christmas last year. It was a devastating injury as the team lost one of its true energizers.
Wagner has always brought an optimistic outlook to the team. He has been one of the team's biggest cheerleaders on the bench just as much as he is when he plays. Wagner is one of those energy players that every team needs.
Even in the immediate aftermath of the injury, Wagner did not seem to lose much of his optimism. He vowed to attack his rehab with the same fervor and energy he played with that helped him carve his place with the Magic.
Still, rehab is an arduous process. It is a lot of long days and uncertainty. Wagner has needed every bit of that optimism and attitude to get through.
"It was a lot more intense than I thought," Wagner said at the Magic's media day. "I thought I could kind of turn off the mental aspect of it and just go through it and be prepared and all that. I learned pretty quickly that wasn't the case. The first couple of months, especially when the season was going on, were very difficult for me emotionally. Coming out of that phase, it's very meaningful because I've learned a lot about myself and adopted new habits and new wellness for me that not only will extend my career but my improve my life overall."
Wagner said during a podcast over the summer that he believed he was past the injury recovery phase of his return and was more about building confidence in his body and getting back into game shape.
That appears to be the level Wagner is at right now. Coach Jamahl Mosley has reported that Moe Wagner is still doing individual drills in practice. He has not rejoined the team in full.
President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said Moe Wagner is still a little further away from jumping back on the floor. The process of returning from an ACL tear is a long one, typically a 9-12 month ordeal.
That would put Wagner's return to the court and doing more likely to be soon. He tore his ACL before Christmas and had surgery in January. He is entering that window.
"I think you guys know there have been, unfortunately, a series of ACLs in the last decade of the NBA and the associated timeline with that," Weltman said during media day. "But you also know Moe Wagner. He's not your normal guy. He's attacking it. We hope he can beat that timeline. What that looks like exactly, I think it's too soon to say."
Wagner believes this ordeal has helped him refocus on his body. But he is eager to get back onto the court.
A needed addition
The Orlando Magic cannot wait to get Moe Wagner back on the court.
Wagner was having a career season last year, averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game before his injury. With all the injuries and offensive struggles the Magic had last year, Wagner was consistency on that end and energy everywhere else.
He hopes that when he returns that he will be able to jump right back in with the same energy and enthusiasm.
"I don't expect anything to change other than playing winning basketball," Wagner said at media day. "For me, I want to make this as seamless as possible so none of you guys ever have to ask me about my knee again."
That is perhaps why there will still be some time. Wagner is still interacting with the coaching staff and serving as an extra coach and encourager on the sidelines. But everyone is eager to see him return.
Orlando is still in need of reliable offensive players and Wagner, despite being an irritant to opponents, is always a calming force for the team.
His perspective is always valued. And that has been one of the big things that has helped get through the long process of rehabbing.