What the return of Wagner brother means for this Magic offense

Moritz Wagner to return for Orlando Sunday afternoon against the Pelicans

Dec 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) controls the ball against New York Knicks forward OG Anunoby (8) in front of Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The leader of the Magic's bench mob is back in action Sunday afternoon in Orlando.

Moritz Wagner, the older brother of Magic Star Franz Wagner, is to return to playing for the team after missing over a year of basketball with a torn ACL injury and recovery.

How soon will the league-leading bench scoring big man regain his floor-stretching rim-attaching powers? How quickly can he help Orlando stabilize the second unit and turn up the energy for the rest of this season?

Moritz Wagner is the battery ram this team needs

Dec 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Orlando Magic center Moritz Wagner (21) drives past Brooklyn Nets guard Ben Simmons (10) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

With the Magic's trip over international waters to Berlin, Germany and London, England now imminent, where they will face the Memphis Grizzlies on a 2026 world tour schedule only surpassed by Bruno Mars, the timing is perfect for the return of the Wagner brothers.

Time will tell if Franz is ready by the Germany game, but reports are promising, and the hype surrounding the game itself and the Wagner brothers now-official deal with Adidas all but leads us to believe both Wagner brothers will suit up to play.

With Mo recovering from a serious injury after a very long time off the court, coming back a game early for a tune-up game against the Pelicans in front of the home crowd is a great way to build energy, momentum, and endurance up for the marquee matchups overseas.

The Wagner Show DHO isn't just for show; the Franz - Moritz two-man game is lethal on the court.

The two brothers spent the beginning of the 2024-25 season basically taking turns as the leading scorers for the Magic, as Paolo Banchero recovered from his injury. Together they were leading scorers as a duo for the team six times in the first two months, with Mo scoring in double digits in 14/19 games to start the season, a trend that would continue until the injury.

Moritz Wagner was averaging 13 points per game on 65% TS%, 11 PPG on 68% TS%, and 11 PPG on 63% TS% the three seasons prior to injury.

Franz is a one-man pick-and-roll maestro in his own right; Moritz is a rim-rolling stretch-five and strong play-finisher, a natural pairing between of a pinpoint point-forward finesse fundamental footwork assassin and a battering ram to shatter the glass of the defense.

Together, they create instant offense for this Magic team, especially as a bench-unit killer; when the Magic are at full strength, staggering stars with effective role players throughout the game becomes easier, and this team hasn't even seen what the full roster is capable of.

Whether paired with Franz or other secondary creators like Joe Ingles or Cole Anthony, Moritz Wagner has found success bringing another level of energy to the Kia Center with his emphatic play, his hyping up teammates, and his loud excited demeanor that fans gravitate too.

The idea of adding a fresh pair of legs in another stretch-big who can attack the rack on and off the ball is an exciting prospect next to Desmond Bane, Paolo Banchero, veteran Tyus Jones, rookie Jase Richardson, and this version of Anthony Black, let alone Jalen Suggs and Franz when they return.

Mo Wagner's energy is hard to measure with numbers or words, but its one of those positives for Orlando that players love to play with and hate to play against, where momentum swings can happen.

The Magic locker room has to be thrilled to get some extra juice at this tough point in the season; will the return of Mo Wagner energize this group to new heights?

At a fan event where Desmond Bane spent the afternoon taking selfies and signing autographs with Magic fans, Desmond spoke about the return of Moritz Wagner with Jason Beade of the Orlando Sentinel:

"Everybody has told me about the energy and the swag that he plays with and brings. So, I can't wait to share the court with him."