As Franz Wagner took the dais to begin his Media Day press conference, he made sure everyone got the information they wanted.
When asked what his summer was like, he started by saying he had a great summer and recounting how he spent a lot of time home in Germany. But then he said, "More specifcially to your question, my priority was to get healthy."
There is no getting around injuries for the Magic after a second injury-filled season. Wagner's health was the big question at Media Day.
Wagner said he spent the start of his offseason making sure his strained calf, which cost him the final three games of the Orlando Magic's series with the Detroit Pistons, was fully healed. He also finished any lingering rehab and recovery from his left high ankle sprain, an injury that probably led to the calf issue in the Playoffs.
Wagner said that he was fully ready to play and workout after about six weeks in the summer.
Orlando certainly hoped that would be the extent of any injury news entering training camp. They are betting on better injury luck. They hope they will not face the same rash of injuries once again.
Even at the beginning of last season, the Magic were dealing with Jalen Suggs' lingering knee injury. Orlando hoped to enter camp without any of those familiar injury concerns.
The starting lineup, at least, seems ready to go for camp on Tuesday. But the Magic still have at least two lingering injury issues.
Jonathan Isaac said at Media Day on Monday that he will not be a full participant at the beginning of camp. He spent his summer nursing a nasty knee sprain that had everyone worried he had done something much worse.
Jonathan Isaac will join rookie Izaiyah Nelson on the injury report to start the season. Nelson is still recovering from the broken ankle he suffered in Summer League and is at least a month away from ramping up his recovery.
Another injury for Isaac
An early season injury for Jonathan Isaac is, unfortunately, a familiar story for the team.
Isaac has struggled to keep himself healthy throughout his career. Even after returning from his nearly three-year absence due to a torn ACL.
Isaac was making good progress last year and proving to be healthy, even if he struggled with his offense. Isaac was starting to find his groove defensively again and building consistency when he suffered a left knee strain on March 12 against the Washington Wizards.
By then, Isaac had already changed the guarantee trigger in his contract. He was working to return in time for the playoffs. It did not happen.
Returning fully from the injury took much longer than expected.
Isaac said he is still rehabbing the knee injury. While he will participate in some parts of practice, he will not be a full participant as camp begins.
"It's pretty frustrating," Isaac said during Media Day on Monday. "But I'm working everyday and doing everything they are telling me to do. We're expecting me to be fine."
It would seem this is a minor hiccup in the grand scheme of things.
Isaac said his rehab continues to be a process where he strengthens the muscles around his knee to try to prevent further injury. The hope is that he can hit the ground running soon.
Isaac may still have a role to play for this team. He is still an elite defender when he is on the floor.
But there is a lot more pressure and a lot more attention on the position now. And Isaac is playing from behind, not being able to work fully on his skills throughout the offseason.
Isaac is still thankful to remain in Orlando.
"I love this team, I love this city," Isaac said at Media Day. "I feel like it goes a bit deeper for me being with the Magic for so long. The things that I have had to endure, but also what the Magic fans and organization have had to endure alongside me. I'm grateful. I'm hoping to be able to continue to be an asset and be effective."
Isaac understood that when he agreed to change the trigger for the guarantee in his contract, he would likely be waived and retained in the offseason. It played out how he and his representatives believed it would.
But now on a minimum contract, Isaac is feeling the pressure to contribute or fall out of the league.
Nelson on the road back
The other injury the Orlando Magic have entering camp is rookie Izaiyah Nelson.
Nelson suffered a fracture in his left ankle during Summer League when he went up for a block and landed awkwardly.
Nelson is still making his way back from the injury. He said on Monday at Media Day that he had just stepped back onto the court for very light work and to move around a bit.
He still has some time before he will ramp up and do anything consequential physically. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said it would be another month before he could do anything live. He will be re-evaluated then.
"The rehab process is going amazing," Nelson said at Media Day on Monday. "It has been a great journey. I have been finding myself through this process. I am feeling blessed."
Nelson said he was not phased by breaking his ankle. He broke his foot previously and he is embracing the opportunity to learn from the sideline and the discipline it takes to recover from an injury. He took the previous absence as God giving him the space to learn something that he would need when he is healthy again.
Injuries are part of the game, of course. There is no avoiding them completely. As Paolo Banchero put it, the hope is that they are minor injuries and nothing major. That is what has derailed the team's season.
Nelson is on a two-way and will likely spend most of the season with Osceola. The hope is that everyone else will pull through and be ready for the entirety of training camp.
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