Franz Wagner cooked on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons. It was clear early on even in a game where Saddiq Bey went nuclear on a lame Orlando Magic defense.
Wagner wanted to do everything possible to keep the team in the game. He scored further points.
Whether it came from cuts as he wound through the defense and got passes or set up his own shot. He’s been having some difficulties lately, but Wagner is still a confident guy. And he let it go.
The Magic’s best moments in an otherwise forgotten game Thursday against the Pistons came in the third quarter when Wagner scored 13 of his 26 points. This helped the Magic reduce the deficit to six.
Despite how badly the Magic played in general, they had a real chance to win the match. And there was a lot on how Wagner could attack.
That was also not the typical way Wagner was shot. Much of this came with Wagner on the ball and to create himself or attack gaps in defense. Wagner was on a roll.
Franz Wagner has made some great goal efforts and has shown a lot of potential this season. But the Orlando Magic seem to get more away from him when it’s time to see what he can do.
So what happened in the game? How did everything get away from magic? How did this young star make just one shot in the final quarter of the game (he missed that one)?
These are the questions that will continue to frustrate Magic fans as the season draws to a close. It really is something that defends the statement about Wagner’s smarts to move the ball when he does not have the gaps to attack.
With Magic’s season coming to an end, with only 11 players left, Magic must make it a priority for Wagner to participate more. They have to prioritize keeping up with Wagner, even if they have to force the way to do so.
Orlando has seen what a Cole Anthony-centric insult looks like (it can be explosive, but is usually not very good). The team made a lot of offensive moves by Wendell Carter in the high post (which was a bit more successful).
The team starts to attack by Markelle Fultz when he gets his limited time on the ground. The Magic still have a lot to experiment with when it comes to Fultz for the rest of the season.
But Wagner has apparently been left out of the mix. And continuously, it is Wagner’s shots and chances that are pressed.
While Wagner gets a lot of attention when the Magic Offensive works. Orlando needs to trust him to be the guy to break the team off offensive failure and make him a more excellent player.
There’s at least something worth discovering in these last few games.
The third quarter Thursday showed what Wagner can do when he’s on the ball. Why not see it play to its full potential?
He did not simply move the ball when the gap was not there. He tried to attack and then attacked again when the first glance was not there. The third quarter was all about Wagner.
Wagner went five-for-seven in the third quarter with a 33.3 percent utilization rate. This is at least proof of the concept that Wagner can take on a greater role. There have been many cases like this throughout the season.
Nevertheless, Wagner fired only one shot in the fourth quarter. He had a utilization rate of 6.7 percent. The ball apparently stopped moving on Wagner and the Magic Offensive was presumably stagnant as the Pistons rebuilt their lead.
That just seems criminal considering how good and consistent Wagner has been for most of the season.
Its utilization rates are really down from any measure one finds for its offensive commitment.
Wagner has averaged 15.4 points per game this season with a 51.9 percent effective field goal percentage. He does this on 12.5 field goal attempts per game at a utilization rate of 20.6 percent.
This utilization rate essentially means that Wagner does all this while using himself as an average player. Star players are usually in their upper 20s and superstars have usage rates in their 30s.
That somehow makes what Wagner did even more impressive. But even without a doubt, Wagner and his production gave a slight decline.
In December, Wagner won Rookie of the Month, averaging 19.5 points per game on 14.9 field goal attempts per game and a 23.9 percent utilization rate. Since then, his numbers have all gone down (whether he hit the rookie wall or back players pushed him to the side).
In January, he averaged 15.6 points per game on 12.3 field goal attempts per game in a 21.0 percent utilization rate. In February, it dropped to 14.7 points per game to 11.6 field goal attempts per game in a 19.8 percent utilization rate.
So far in March, Wagner has averaged 14.6 points per game on 11.8 field goal attempts per game and a 19.7 percent utilization rate. That seems to be at least his soil.
Wagner still put up good numbers. But his lack of commitment was always a bit crazy. Maybe the team is protecting him or trying to use him in some way. Maybe they’re trying to keep his legs to get him through the 82-game season.
But the frustration of the fans is cooking up a bit and it is becoming increasingly clear Wagner should have more responsibility and opportunities on the floor.
Orlando should at least consider what the lies look like with Wagner as a more marked goal scorer on the offensive and not just an attacker in the transition or someone who carries the ball for an open 3-pointer.
What Wagner’s ultimate role for Magic over this season is still a bit of a mystery. But that’s only because its ultimate ceiling also feels insecure.
It is clear that the Magic needs to make him a features part of this build up and that means he is more consistently involved in the insult and the insult builds more on his skills.
That’s part of the problem because he fits so easily into everything. It’s easy to lighten up in the background because he’s so good at doing things in the background. The team has to push him closer.
Wagner has impressed immensely this season. He blew away all expectations that Magic had for him as a player. And there is certainly a feeling that he could be a future All-Star.
Wagner has shown all-star potential. But he is not exactly like an All-Star used.
As this season draws to a close, the Magic will have to give Wagner the star treatment and make sure he gets involved so they have a better idea of what they expect from him next season.
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