The Orlando Magic know who to turn to when they need energy.
On the second night of a back-to-back when the team looked focused but still a bit sluggish after the overnight trip from New York City to Philadelphia, the Magic needed a lift from their bench. They needed one of their big energy players to step in.
That is Moe Wagner. The guy who was clapping near Karl-Anthony Towns and giving back to the All-Star as much as he took. Towns may have made those tough shots, but Wagner was trying to give energy to a Magic team desperately needing some.
That is his role. That is what the Magic’s bench does.
One of the hallmarks of Orlando’s breakthrough season last year was the team’s depth and bench. Orlando was fourth in the league with 41.5 points per game off the bench. Moe Wagner’s career season was a big piece to that puzzle.
There were concerns that removing Markelle Fultz and Joe Ingles might upset the apple cart with the bench.
That is increasingly not the case. Orlando is fifth in the league averaging 39.4 points per game off the bench. Wagner again is posting a career-best season, averaging 12.9 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game, both career highs.
As coach Jamahl Mosley has joked before, Wagner wakes up scoring 10 points. He is reliable for his 10-15 points every night. And sometimes he gives you more.
Wagner’s aggression and energy have been vital to the team’s success. The Magic’s bench is still a major part of the formula for the Magic – and the bench’s struggles were one of the big reasons the Magic’s game in New York got out of hand.
Wagner helped turn around the Magic’s 106-102 win against the Sixers in both of his stints. He six of his 10 points in Wednesday’s game in the first quarter, helping Orlando build a 12-point lead at the end of the quarter, a lead the team would mostly maintain throughout the game. The Magic were +13 when he was on the floor.
When Jonathan Isaac is adding a season-best 14 points, the bench can be devastating to face. It is something that helps elevate the Magic. And that should especially be the case when Franz Wagner anchors the bench units rather than Jalen Suggs.
The bench has not been as strong as it was last year. Anthony Black has been more inconsistent as a young player – when he plays well as he did with 10 points and seven assists in Wednesday’s game, the bench looks better. But the potential is still clearly there.
And as Orlando continues to formulate its path to victory, bench scoring is a big part of the puzzle.
