Since the start of the 2012-13 NBA season, the Orlando Magic have been close to irrelevant in the NBA. With just two playoff appearances and one season with a winning record, the Magic have been rebuilding for over a decade now.
They had some talent on their roster with Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier, but all three players were moved at the trade deadline last season to acquire more future assets. As a result of trading Nikola Vucevic to the Chicago Bulls, one of the key future assets the Magic acquired was the 8th pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, giving them a second Top-10 pick given that they owned their own pick that ended up being the 5th overall selection.
After taking Jalen Suggs No. 5 overall, there was much discussion of who Orlando would take next, but their minds were made up going into the draft. Franz Wagner out of Michigan was the pick for the Magic, a choice that drew a lot of criticism.
Wagner spent two years at Michigan before entering his name in the NBA Draft and there are questions about what kind of player he would be at the next level. He is not a very athletic talent compared to others in his draft class and nothing really stands out about his game.
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It was said that the 6’9” forward could do a lot of things well, but that he did not possess that “star-like” potential compared to other guys like Mobley, Green, Cunningham and Suggs in the Top-10 of the draft.
Well, we are over two months into the season and Franz Wagner has not only fit in perfectly in Orlando, but he may be one of the front-runners for Rookie of the Year this season!
Playing in all 35 games for the Magic thus far, Wagner has averaged 15.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals and has shot 44.8% from the floor, 36.4% from three-point range. All the “yellow flags” about his motor, hustle and shooting skills have been thrown in the trash cans, as the rookie has been as dominant as you can be for a 20-year-old wing in the NBA.
Given all the Orlando Magic players out due to injuries and health protocols, Franz Wagner has really stepped up into a huge role for this team and has been their “go-to” guy early on during the first-half of the season.
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Not only is he second on the Orlando Magic in points per game and three-pointers made, but he ranks first in the league out of all rookies this season in total points, sixth in total rebounds, fourth in total assists and third in three-pointers made.
Orlando’s rookie also ranks first out of all rookies this season in three-point shooting percentage (min. 100 attempts) and is second amongst all rookies in total steals.
There really have been no limitations to Wagner’s game, which is funny given that many scouts across the league did not believe that he could contribute in many different ways. Most recently on Tuesday night against the Milwaukee Bucks, Franz Wagner put on a show and scored the most points out of any rookie this season.
In a 127-110 loss to Milwaukee, Wagner scored a career-high 38 points on 12-20 shooting and added 7 rebounds to his name as well in front of his former college coach Juwan Howard, who was in the stands to watch Wagner play.
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With his 38-point performance, 27 of which came in the second half, Franz Wagner joined Shaquille O’Neal (1993) and Dennis Scott (1990) as the only other rookies in Orlando Magic franchise history to reach 38 points in a game.
They may only have 7 wins on the season, but Franz Wagner has been a bright spot for the Orlando Magic. Finding talent on the wing has always been difficult for this franchise, but the rookie forward certainly seems like he can be a franchise-talent.
He has done everything the Orlando Magic have asked of him this season and a few weeks back, veteran wing Terrence Ross talked about Wagner’s impact to this team.
“Franz is good at everything. He is really good at everything,” Ross said. “He can shoot, pass, score, defend and he is 6-foot-10. He is really fun to watch. He reminds me of a Gordon Hayward with a lot more size and I think (can be) a little bit better down the road. I’m excited to see what he turns into.”
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Emerging as one of the best two-way rookies in this draft class, Franz Wagner is definitely going to see his name on the First Team All-Rookie list should he remain healthy and Rookie of the Year is definitely not out of the question.
Winning games does not really matter too much in terms of this award and he certainly has set the bar high for the rest of his fellow rookies. While he may not get the attention others from his draft class get, Franz Wagner is certainly one of the more promising looking young talents in this league and has a chance to be a real star in Orlando.
