Magic Star Franz Wagner Opens Up About Injury Setbacks, 'No Regrets' Over Berlin Return

Franz Wagner's injury defined much of the heartache the Orlando Magic faced during the regular season, which led to an early playoff exit.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner walks off the court after the game against the Detroit Pistons. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The Orlando Magic's season was defined by a lack of reaching their full potential.

A big reason behind that was Franz Wagner not staying healthy for most of the season. Wagner suffered a hamstring strain against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden back in early December, and it held him out for virtually the rest of the season.

He tried to return a month later against the Memphis Grizzlies because he was afforded the opportunity to play in his hometown of Berlin. Chasing that milestone proved to be costly, as he re-aggravated the injury during the team's trip to Europe and it compromised his abilities for the rest of the season. However, Wagner doesn't regret his decision to come back for the Berlin game.

"The way it went, I probably shouldn't have played. Everybody understands the situation that it was, and honestly, I hate to say it, but I don't really regret the decision to play," Wagner said in an interview with HoopsHype.

"It was that special of a moment for me, and for a lot of other people who were there. So, it just happened to be a bad moment in time, probably, but maybe some people hate me for this, but it was a really special moment for my family and me. So, I was happy that I got the chance to at least be out there."

Franz Wagner Has No Regrets With Injury Return

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner controls the ball against the Detroit Pistons. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Wagner tried coming back a month later, just before the All-Star break, but that return was also short-lived. Following just two appearances against the Milwaukee Bucks in back-to-back games, Wagner was out until the beginning of April.

From there, he participated in six regular-season games before the playoffs, when he suffered another injury, this time straining his right calf that would knock him out for the rest of the postseason. The Magic lost their last three games of the series without Wagner and were eliminated in the first round despite holding a 3-1 lead against the Pistons.

Wagner described the difficulty in having so many setbacks throughout the season when it came to the injury.

"It was very challenging. At the end of the day, if we're not healthy as athletes, we can't do our jobs, so that's the most important thing," Wagner said in the interview.

"And so there's always that pressure that you need to be out there and perform and help the team out. So not being able to do that and not seeing the results in rehab, too, when you're going really hard, it was really frustrating for me. And basically, trying to rehab the same injury three times in a year was tough for me, always having the same kind of setback feeling."

Wagner played in 34 regular-season games for the Magic, and the team went 20-14 in those contests. Over an 82-game season, that winning percentage equates to a 48-win total, three games higher than where the Magic actually finished in the regular-season standings.

That record would have given the Magic the No. 5 seed, which lined up a series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. If the Magic were in Cleveland instead of Detroit, it could have led to them getting out of the first round. The Magic lost to the Cavs in the first round two years ago, but their growth since then and their added offense could have given Cleveland a run for its money.

The Magic are a good team without Wagner, but they are great with him on the floor. He needs to ensure that he is healthy so Orlando can fulfill its potential and be a true contender in the Eastern Conference.