Matty Writes Sports

The Orlando Magic have undergone one of the fastest rebuilds in the NBA over the last few years, and currently, sit at 12-7, holding 3rd in the Eastern Conference, behind only the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers, with only one loss on their resume, and the reigning NBA Champion and powerhouse Boston Celtics.

Sure, the Eastern Conference is a lot weaker than the West, but Orlando’s turnaround has been extremely swift. In the 2019-20 season, The Magic made the playoffs in the bubble, sneaking in as the 8 seed, setting up a date with the 1 seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Despite avoiding a sweep with a Game 1 victory, the Magic were swiftly dispatched by the Bucks, with MVP and DPOY Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating the series.

The Orlando front office soon realised that with their current roster, they were headed nowhere, and, with the trade of All-Star centre, Nikola Vucevic, the Magic descended into the basement, receiving Wendell Carter Jr and the Bulls’ 2021 and 2023 draft picks, the main sweetener in this trade.

Finishing the 2020-21 season 14th in the East, only one win ahead of the bottom, the Magic landed the 5th pick of their own volition, and received the 8th pick, courtesy of Chicago. The 5th pick was used on Jalen Suggs out of Gonzaga, and the 8th pick was used on Michigan wing Franz Wagner.

The next season didn’t go much better for the Magic, who were only just kicking off their rebuilding phase, but for Wagner, it was definitely a positive one. The German rookie averaged 15.2ppg for Orlando as their starting small forward, being named to the All-Rookie first team, despite not being able to take Orlando away from the basement. Highlights included a 38 point explosion against Milwaukee, and the December Rookie of the Month for the Eastern Conference.

However, due to Orlando’s measly 22-60 record, the NBA Lottery was a chance to win big. And win big, they did. Orlando secured the Number 1 pick for the 4th time in franchise history, and selected Duke standout Paolo Banchero.

With Banchero, the Magic immediately improved, jumping up to 34 wins on the back of Banchero’s stellar rookie play. Not only this, but Wagner jumped his average from 15.2ppg to 18.6ppg on better4 shooting splits, including 36% from 3 point range. The two had emerged as one of the best young duos in the entire NBA, and hopes for the future in Orlando were growing day by day.

Just before the 2023-24 Season, Wagner jetted off to the Philippines to represent his home nation at the FIBA World Cup. Led by Wagner and fellow NBA Player Dennis Schroder, the Germans dominated in group play, dominating Finland, Japan and grinding out a narrow victory over the Australians. After topping Group E, they moved to the Second Round, moving to Group K, where they would once again be joined by the Boomers, as well as Luka Doncic’s Slovenia and Georgia. Germany continued their unbeaten streak, beating Slovenia by 3 points and blasting Georgia out of the tournament, with a 100-73 victory.

The Quarters awaited for Germany, where they prevailed over Latvia, with another 2 point victory. before facing the pre-tournament favourites and basketball juggernaut the United States in the Semi Finals. Against all odds, the Germans came out on top, with Franz contributing 22 points in the 113-111 victory, coming out on top over his Orlando teammate Banchero. In the final, Germany emerged victorious again, defeating a resilient Serbia 83-77, and taking their first FIBA World Cup title ever. Despite missing 4 games due to injury, Wagner was named to the All-Tournament 2nd team, setting a strong precedent for what would come next.

In the following 2023-24 season, Wagner helped the Magic to return to the playoffs, as the team played smothering defence to return to the postseason as the 5th seed, where they would match up against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Over the season, Franz upped his scoring average from inside the arc, but struggled to score from 3 point range, scoring on only 28% of his attempts, a huge drop from his previous two seasons, where he had shot above league average.

In a gruelling 7 game series, the Cavaliers toppled the Magic, in a series where the Home team won every single game that was played. Both teams struggled offensively, including Franz, who once again struggled to make his shots from beyond the arc. The German shot 27 percent from beyond the arc as Orlando were eliminated in the First Round, but the following season would be a lot different.

First, it was back to International duty with Germany, as the World Champions qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Franz was on the roster again. After rolling through the Group phase, defeating Japan, Brazil and hosts France, Franz and the Germans rolled on to the knockouts, where they faced Greece. The Germans handled the Greeks in a 13 point victory, and would face their old enemy once again, as France had rebounded from a poor group stage to defeat the Canadians in the previous round.

The French had the home crowd behind them, and used it to full effect, knocking out Germany in a slugfest, where both offences struggled. However, France’s defence, led by 7’4 centre Victor Wembanyama prevailed, and Germany would have to play Serbia once again, in order to grab an Olympic medal.

However this time, the Serbians were bolstered by 3X MVP Nikola Jokic, who had missed the World Cup final 11 months prior. The big man had his way and elevated Serbia past Germany, handing them the Bronze medal.

However, Franz didn’t let the Olympic disappointment affect him, as, when the new NBA Season rolled around Franz started well. In the first three games of the season, against Miami, Brooklyn and Memphis, Wagner averaged 25ppg, helping Orlando to 2 wins to start their campaign.

However, on the 31st October, the Magic announced Banchero would be sidelined with a torn right oblique and, since then, Franz has been on a tear. After 4 consecutive losses, leaving the Magic at 3-6, the team finally hit first gear, and, in their last 10 games, the only blemish on their record is a defeat against the LA Clippers at the new Intuit Dome.

In this span, the Magic have beaten down on the Wizards, the Pelicans, the Hornets and the Sixers, with Wagner coming up big in every game. a 29 point outing against Indiana helped Orlando to NBA Cup victory, and consecutive 30 point performances against the Sixers and the Suns followed.

The crown jewel in Franz’s performances though was his 37 point bombardment of the Los Angeles Lakers, that included a step-back game winner over Cam Reddish, capping off his 15 point 4th quarter and 11 assist game.

However, it isn’t only Franz’s scoring that has taken a leap. As the primary ball handler in Paolo’s absence, Wagner has been much improved as a playmaker, averaging over 6 assists in the month of November. His ability to read the defence has taken a notable step forward, and Franz has been dissecting defences every game, such as against Detroit, where he dropped a near 30 point triple double to propel the Magic to victory, with 8 assists. His passing game has been elevated, and the Orlando offence is much improved as a result.

Not only his offensive game, but his defensive game has improved too. 1.8 steals per game has him sixth in the Association, and, with the German on the court, the Magic have a defensive rating of 103.5. Of players who average more than 30 minutes a game, only Dillon Brooks of the Rockets can boast a better defensive rating, showing Franz has the ability to do it on both ends of the floor.

The Magic sit at 12-7, thanks mainly to the improved contribution of Franz Wagner. They’re 9-1 in their last 10 games, and Franz has averaged 27.6ppg, 6rpg and 7 assists, making an early case for him to be an All Star this season. If the Magic can keep up their current level of play, who’s to say Franz can’t become the second German All-Star in NBA History?