Orlando Magic Forward Franz Wagner Suffers Injury Against New York Knicks

The Orlando Magic caught a break Monday, but they're still in a tough spot. Franz Wagner's high ankle sprain will sideline him for 2–4 weeks, not ideal, but far better than the season-ending assumption it looked like when he crumpled to the court at Madison Square Garden on Sunday afternoon.

Wagner went down awkwardly after a blocked alley-oop attempt against the New York Knicks, grabbing his knee in obvious pain, and needing the assistance of teammates, including his brother Maurice, to carry him off without any weight on his left leg. The MRI revealed no structural damage, which feels like a small miracle given how scary it appeared in real time.

Losing their fifth-year forward causes some issues for the Magic. Wagner leads Orlando in scoring at 22.7 points per game while shooting a career-best 49% from the field. He's been their most consistent offensive weapon all season, and now they're without him for the NBA Cup quarterfinal against Miami, a team they've already beaten twice by the slimmest of margins this year. More importantly, the team has just gotten back on track following a rocky start, sitting fifth in the East, with a 7–3 record in their last ten games. 

The silver lining? Orlando has been here before. Paolo Banchero just returned from missing 10 games with a groin strain, and the Magic managed to stay competitive during that stretch. They know how to survive without their stars. But asking them to do it twice in quick succession, especially with Banchero still shaking off rust, is going to be a challenge, as the ball tends to move more with Wagner than with Banchero’s isolation style of play. 

With Wagner off the court this season, Banchero's usage rate jumps to 32.2%, while Jalen Suggs sits at 31.6%. Both guys will need to step up immediately. The good news is that Orlando's defense should still be its calling card; they're built to grind out ugly wins even when the offense stalls.

The real question is whether this injury derails what could have been a breakout All-Star campaign for Wagner. Missing three weeks in December might be just enough to cost him that recognition, even if he returns stronger in January.