Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner remains without a timetable to return, per head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner is not yet ready to return after sustaining an ankle injury three weeks ago, but his coach, Jamahl Mosley, shared many compliments about his desire to improve.
Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner
MIN: 33.38
PTS: 22.71 (58.97%)
REB: 6.13
As: 3.67
ST: 1.17
BL: 0.38
TO: 1.79
GM: 24
At Madison Square Garden, Wagner could have started suffering a nightmare early this month. The German star had a gruesome and scary fall in one of those moments that usually catch a team's breath in fear of a season-ending injury.
However, Wagner was lucky enough to avoid a major issue and was finally diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain to be out 2-4 weeks.
While Wagner avoided the worst, the 24-year-old forward will need some more rest. Asked by BasketNews, Mosley didn't provide a timeline for getting the German back.
"There's no return date, set a schedule right now," Mosley said before the tough loss against the Raptors after blowing a 21-point lead.
Wagner's partner in crime, Paolo Banchero, had a triple-double with 23 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists, but it went in vain.
Franz Wagner could be out for more than a month
Wagner went down on Dec. 7 and has been out three weeks. Apparently, his recovery could take more than four weeks, which was the most conservative timeline first announced.
The German forward missed up to 20 games between December and January last season due to a torn right oblique that initially sidelined him indefinitely.
Wagner looked in great spirits in the Magic's morning shootaround, although he wasn't seen taking any on-court workout but exercising on a stationary bike.
Despite Wagner's absence, his coach praised his improved shooting when asked.
After struggling with 3-point shooting last season, the World and European champion for Germany improved from 29.5% to 36% from beyond the arc, but is taking fewer shots, from 6 last year to 4.2 this season.
"Franz is an elite worker, and whatever he is trying to be, he studies it, studies the game, studies himself," Mosley told BasketNews. "He is always just looking to find ways to improve, so whatever he is doing, there is a tremendous amount of work to get there."
Mosley didn't specify whether this improvement is a matter of confidence or changes in Wagner's shooting mechanics.
Wagner is averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in his fifth season in the NBA, following his EuroBasket title with the German national team.
While Germany is dominating the international scene with Alex Mumbru as coach now, the Magic are still far from doing so in the NBA after two consecutive first-round exits.
His return is being delayed, but Wagner appears to be on the right track to propel a Magic team that is not finding consistency as it alternates wins with losses.
Toni Canyameras
Toni Canyameras began his basketball media career in 2021, covering FC Barcelona. He became a fan of the sport thanks to Barça and the Japanese manga series Slam Dunk. Toni moved to Toronto in 2022 and has since been covering the NBA from a European perspective, reporting on games, All-Star weekends, and the Summer League. He holds a degree in Journalism, a Master's Degree in Sports Journalism in Spain, and a Postgraduate in Journalism in Canada.
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