Yet, the numbers do not quite match that nickname. Wagner earned the “fourth-quarter Franz” nickname for several big shots late in games.
He needs to take over the game, especially in late-game situations and in the fourth quarter so he can lead the Magic to more wins. They should hold him to a higher standard. That is where the Magic should believe he can reach. But he needs to develop that killer instinct to take his game to that next level and be a top scorer. His assist numbers went up slightly to 3.5 assists per game which is good considering he is an underrated playmaker. And some of that is on Wagner to keep himself involved. It is about getting him the ball more and keeping him involved. The issue with Wagner is not about his production anymore. But if he shoots so efficiently, why does he not get more volume? His efficiency numbers were up this year which is a good sign - 48.5 percent overall and 36.1 percent from beyond the arc. That was 1.7 more attempts per game than last year. Wagner still increased his attempts over his rookie season, taking 14.0 per game. He was not a primary creator or scorer despite this potential. Like his rookie season, Wagner seemed content to work on the margins and wait for the ball to swing to him. One big reason that he is not achieving these goals is because of his lack of attempts. He slid in well as a second scorer next to Paolo Banchero. Wagner still made noticeable improvements to average 18.6 points per game. More than that, fans wanted to see him carry over the aggressiveness he played EuroBasket with where he hunted his shot and worked more off the dribble. One of the main goals fans had for Wagner was for him to go from a 15-point-per-game scorer to a 20-point-per-game scorer. Wagner again seemed to fade into the background and the Magic had to make it a point to include him. But he also did not assert himself at times as the team’s best player and more aggressive scorer. There was a lot that he can build on after this year, but his lack of improvement is definitely a concern, especially after such an impressive rookie season.
This season was certainly not a step back but just not as big of a leap as expected for the second-year star. That is why it is quite disappointing to see him have somewhat of a sophomore slump. Someone of Wagner’s talent had all the abilities to be a top scorer and an All-NBA defender. He settled in many ways to doing what made his rookie year promising and nothing more. But the Orlando Magic forward did not take the big leap to stardom that his rookie season seemed to promise.īut if you really take a deep dive into his stats and the film you will see that he did not make the second-year leap he should have. Franz Wagner continues to tease his immense talent and potential.
If you were to just take a look at his counting numbers you might see that he jumped up almost three points a game and think that he made a nice second-year leap.
That unfortunately is not exactly how the season played out. With Markelle Fultz back and healthy and the addition of the first overall pick Paolo Banchero, there was supposed to be a lot of pressure taken off Franz Wagner and he was supposed to make a second-year jump. The all-rookie first-teamer turned heads and had major expectations going into his sophomore season. Franz Wagner was a rookie sensation last year for the Orlando Magic.
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