Franz Wagner's return makes April Fools out of hopeful Orlando Magic fans

The Orlando Magic served up a convincing April Fools joke for the most gullible members of their fan base on Wednesday, clearing Franz Wagner to return. Head coach Jamahl Mosley gave him the start, setting the table on the appearance that everything would be fine from here on out.

It didn’t take long for the illusion to fade once the team again failed miserably. Like many gags launched on April 1, the end result was far from funny.

The Atlanta Hawks crushed Orlando’s realistic chances of winning its third consecutive Southeast Division title with a 130-101 blowout that drew calls for Mosley’s job from the angry customers by the time the night was over.

Wagner, who got the start in his first action since Feb. 11, looked understandably rusty. He missed all six of his 3-point attempts, finishing with just one rebound and two assists in addition to his 12 points. The 24-year-old forward looks far removed from displaying the form that would’ve likely landed him an All-Star spot had he not been injured in New York on Dec. 7. That high ankle sprain changed the course of Orlando's season, but the current regime is out of excuses. Soon, it will be out of time.

It doesn’t appear Wagner will get his groove back in time to rescue the Magic. Sadly, that this team looks like it needs to be saved from an embarrassingly brief appearance in the upcoming play-in tournament can’t be disputed.

Orlando took up residence in the No. 5 spot in the East a few weeks ago, then nosedived. Instead, this has turned into another cursed season. The Hawks are soaring in the manner the Magic were expected to when preseason predictions were made, winning 16 of the 18 last games and turning themselves into a contender in the “wide open” Eastern Conference.

Everyone understood when we embarked on this journey in October that anything was possible. The last two East champs, Indiana and Boston, would be without their top players most of the way, opening the path for teams to rise. The Pacers faded quickly minus Tyrese Haliburton, while the Celtics have persevered and now have Jayson Tatum back.

Orlando has had bad luck with injuries, but hasn’t dealt with anything that should be considered a dealbreaker. The Magic have simply failed to capitalize on their opportunity.

Every month has for the most part delivered a consistent picture of mediocrity. The Magic haven’t been terrible, but haven’t been what those expecting a breakthrough hoped they would be. Blame has been cast in star forward Paolo Banchero’s direction, but he’s still just 23 and nowhere near a finished product.

A poorly constructed roster that doesn’t respond well to the current coaching staff inspires no confidence as the postseason approaches.

We’ve gotten through 76 games with players still questioning the team’s effort and preparedness. A seven-game win streak was followed by a six-game losing streak in the same month. Two steps forward, two steps back.

Wagner returning was supposed to provide a boost, but realistically, we were fools to think much would change immediately.

At the same time, it was stunning that nothing changed at all. Two weeks after torching Orlando’s defense for 41 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 32 more. He shot 11-for-16. All-Star Jalen Johnson, despite missing all four of his 3-pointers, got wherever he wanted and did as he pleased in finishing with 14 rebounds and eight assists in helping produce a blowout win and a season sweep.

Hawks soar past Magic, make current shortcomings undeniable

How does a guy who just torched your team for nine 3-pointers two weeks get loose again when you hang your hat on defense? How is anyone supposed to have faith in Orlando making proper adjustments necessary to get out of one playoff series, much less the three you need to win to reach the NBA Finals?

Once eliminated, we’ll see what changes are made, but outside of Wagner’s return, none saw the light of day in an utterly embarrassing performance at home with the season on the line.

Mosley will likely end up being the fall guy, but it’s not great that Orlando’s most impactful reserves over the past few months have been a veteran guard they picked up off waivers and a G League cast-off who has displayed toughness that’s been a welcome addition. When you’re relying on Jevon Carter and Jamal Cain to provide an emotional spark and play significant minutes, that speaks volumes about the rest of your reserves.

A 52-point weekend loss to the Toronto Raptors was swept under the rug and the team responded with a victory over the Phoenix Suns thanks to Desmond Bane’s clutch shots to open the week. Although it spared Orlando from a losing March, the bounceback was short-lived.

Magic fans appear done with the team as things stand. No one can blame them. You would have to be a fool to think this team is poised to do anything but exit the playoff picture quickly.