The Orlando Magic were eager to get to the All-Star Break, reset and prepare for a push to the end of the season.
The team found some rhythm, winning three of the four games on their closing four-game homestand, but still got a reminder of the work they needed in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks heading into the break.
But the hope was that, with the team finally fully healthy, they could reach their potential and prove injuries simply derailed their season.
The news that Franz Wagner would be out indefinitely as he continues to deal with soreness in his left ankle was something of a gut punch then. That hope quickly dissipated with Wagner set to be re-evaluated in three weeks, meaning he will likely miss half of the team's remaining 29 games.
The Magic are going to move forward without a key piece of their identity.
"There aren't words that describe what Franz means to this team," coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice on Wednesday. "His toughness, his resilience and his desire to want to get back on the court. Everyone on this team knows his work ethic and his care factor for this group. There aren't many words that can describe it for this group. I talked to him last night and his ability to just want to be on the floor and that's the hardest. But also understanding he knows how capable this group is of achieving the things we want to do even with him being out for this time."
For a team that is still fairly close despite all the frustrations this year, it was a hard bit of news to take as the team got back to work in Sacramento. The Magic will have to find a way to come together and pull through without Wagner.
A frustrating false start
That desire to be on the floor might very well have been his undoing.
Franz Wagner is a tough player who rarely misses games. Before last year's oblique injury and this year's high ankle sprain, Wagner played 79, 80 and 72 games. His durability is one of his selling points -- especially if you consider the minutes he logged in international play in addition to his NBA play.
Wagner admitted he likely pushed to come back too quickly when he played in Berlin against the Memphis Grizzlies. It appears that this calculus happened again when he stepped on the court against the Milwaukee Bucks before the All-Star Break.
He passed whatever checks the Magic had and felt he was doing well. But Wagner admitted, too, that he would have to play in some pain. That pain may have ultimately been too much.
That is frustrating for a team that is eager to be whole again.
"First of all, it sucks because he's my brother and we have a high-level relationship," Moe Wagner said after practice Wednesday. "He's obviously not happy with it and struggling emotionally. You can see that from a family member. For us as players, he brings such a big impact on the game. But primarily, I care more about the person and feel very bad for him."
The Magic will need to come together and find a way to power through the rest of the season at least partly without Wagner. They have to prove they are still capable of winning.
Coming together again
The Orlando Magic have played for nearly 2.5 months mostly without Franz Wagner. He has missed 25 of the past 29 games. And it has been a struggle for the team to find any measure of consistency.
The Magic are 14-15 in those 29 games with a frustratingly bad 111.8 offensive rating and 115.9 defensive rating, good for 20th in the league. Orlando has struggled to find its identity and do much consistently. The Magic have essentially swapped wins and losses for the past 2.5 months.
The point is we have seen the Magic a lot with Wagner out of the lineup. And the Magic have to find a way to reset and change their narrative.
The team hoped that the All-Star Break provides the reset the team needs to find itself for this closing kick.
"Just beginning a full reset. Being able to get away from the game for a while and appreciate it," Jamahl Mosley said after practice Wednesday. "These guys came back with that joy and that focus in practice. I thought it was an excellent practice from their line of focus and their understanding of being around each other again. That's the mindset we have to have. We have to come in with a serious level of understanding gameplan each and every single night and appreciate the game and have the joy of playing with one another."
The Magic have been preaching taking things one game and one day at a time for a while. It is hard to look at the big picture when the team is focused on just finding energy consistently game to game.
The Magic are hoping they can simplify some things on offense and get back to the team's defensive identity. But everything starts with the team's energy and the Magic know that needs to start with Thursday's game against Sacramento.
"It's vital. It's super important," Paolo Banchero said after practice Wednesday. "Our energy has to be right. Our swag has to be right. We've got to be ready to come out and ball."
The Magic are undoubtedly missing a key piece with Wagner out. The Magic certainly would not be able to compete at the highest levels without him. Orlando knows how important he is.
But the Magic also know they should be able to win and should be able to compete even if he is not in the lineup. They should be playing a lot healthy.
So while they wait for Wagner to get himself all the way back, the Magic will try to find themselves again. That has been a difficult journey. But the team has no choice but to make the most of their current roster.