Second-year forward Franz Wagner is expected to be available for the Orlando Magic’s Thursday preseason matchup at the San Antonio Spurs.
Franz Wagner : NBA Preseason | Fantasy | Stats
Franz Jacob Wagner is a German professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic of the National Basketball Association (NBA).
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 27, 2001 (age 21) Berlin, Germany |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Michigan (2019–2021) |
| NBA draft | 2021 / Round: 1 / Pick: 8th overall |
He played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. Listed at 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m) and 220 pounds (100 kg), he plays the small forward position.
Wagner, a native of Berlin, started his career with Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) club Alba Berlin. In 2019, he was named BBL Best German Young Player. Wagner has played for the German youth national teams, winning a gold medal at the 2018 Albert Schweitzer Tournament.
Franz Wagner NBA Preseason
Second-year forward Franz Wagner is expected to be available for the Orlando Magic’s Thursday preseason matchup at the San Antonio Spurs.
Wagner, who was named to the All-Rookie first team and finished fourth (two third-place votes) in voting for Rookie of the Year that was awarded to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes, sat out of the Magic’s preseason-opening loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday.
The Magic are monitoring Wagner’s preseason workload after a month-long, summer run with Germany men’s national basketball team, which included playing in friendlies, 2023 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and EuroBasket 2022 — a tournament in which Germany won the bronze medal after defeating Poland on Sept. 18 at Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin.
Wagner averaged 15.2 points, 4 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 26.6 minutes (9 games) in EuroBasket.
Orlando will play the Mavericks in Dallas Friday to wrap up the back-to-back.
“We’ll make sure he’s working his way back the right way,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley told the Orlando Sentinel. “It’s going to be [about] how his body responds to that first game more than anything.”
Franz Wagner Fantasy
He’s a better fantasy option than you may realize, and he’s just scratching the surface. There’s room for growth defensively for Wagner, which could elevate him to an early-round pick in 2023.
The Magic will be without Wendell Carter, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, and Franz Wagner on Sunday for their season finale.
The absences of both Suggs and Anthony at guard should see Hampton and Fultz start and see 26 or more minutes each.
With both Wagner and Carter out of the lineup, it clears the way for Mo Bamba to see more minutes, Mo Wagner and Ignas Brazdeikis to start.
Wagner did not play in the preseason opener, as the Magic wanted to give him some extra rest after a busy summer. He was one of the top fantasy rookies last season and should again be an essential option for the Magic. Wagner is definitely worth using a middle-round pick on in standard leagues.
As for Ross, he’s usually in a reserve role, where he can provide points and 3-pointers to needy managers in deeper leagues.
Stats
In the 2018–19 season, Wagner played on a dual contract for both Alba Berlin in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL), top German league, and SSV Lokomotive Bernau in the third-tier ProB league. In May 2019, he won the BBL Best Young Player Award.
|
Year
|
Team
|
GP
|
Min
|
Pts
|
FG%
|
Reb
|
Ast
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2021
|
ORL
|
79
|
30.7
|
15.2
|
46.8
|
4.5
|
2.9
|
|
Career
|
|
79
|
30.7
|
15.2
|
46.8
|
4.5
|
2.9
|
Wagner was selected with the eighth pick in the 2021 NBA draft by the Orlando Magic. He and fellow lottery pick Jalen Suggs signed with the Magic on August 3.
Wagner posted his first NBA double-double with a career-high 11 rebounds and 14 points as well as 6 assists on December 18 against the Brooklyn Nets.
On December 27, 2021, Wagner put up a career-high 38 points in a 127–110 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Wagner was named the NBA Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for games played in December.
Wagner’s second NBA double-double occurred on January 12, 2022 against the Washington Wizards when he upped his career-high assist plateau from 6 to 10 and added 14 points.
This marked the first time a Magic rookie forward had ever posted 10 or more assists in a game.
Following the 2021–22 NBA season he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
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