Analyzing Magic ahead Franz Wagner’s engage in with Germany in EuroBasket

On an person and workforce amount, Orlando Magic ahead Franz Wagner’s time with the German men’s countrywide basketball team for the duration of EuroBasket 2022 has been profitable.

Separately, Wagner has shined. With averages of 16.2 details (53.6% shooting from the discipline — 55.9% on 2s, 50% on 3s), 4 rebounds and 1.4 helps, Wagner has provided glimpses as to why German basketball magazine “BASKET” referred to him as the “Face of the New Generation.” The emphasize of his tournament play has been his 32-level, 8-rebound performance in a double-time beyond regulation earn more than Lithuania on Sept. 4.

As a workforce, Germany performed better in the team-stage game titles than most predicted, likely 4-1 in Team B to qualify for the 16-team single-elimination knockout stage.

Germany plays Montenegro (midday on ESPN+) in the Spherical of 16 on Saturday in Berlin. The winner will perform both Greece, led by two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, or the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. The tournament remaining is scheduled for Sept. 18.

Right here are takeaways of Wagner’s participate in ahead of Saturday’s matchup:

The positives

On-ball scoring odds

All through his rookie year with the Magic, Wagner showed he could handle a lot more tasks as a ballhandler. The same has been the situation with Germany.

Wagner, 21, isn’t being tasked with currently being the team’s primary creator or playmaker. That’s been Dennis Schröder’s job.

But when looked upon to build scoring prospects for himself, Wagner continuously delivered in a variety of approaches — choose-and-roll as the ballhandler, in isolation as a driver and pull-up 3s, to title a handful of.

Wagner has been particularly efficient when place in predicaments to score off motion, specifically coming off zipper screens — a reduce off a down display screen up the no cost throw line.

He’s revealed greater self-confidence in his handles, making use of a number of dribble combos to produce space. Wagner does not have to have a good deal of home to make scoring opportunities, specially on drives. His actions and timing of them are idiosyncratic, which can toss off a defender’s rhythm and give Wagner all the house he desires to make very good appears to be for himself.

Wagner is client when attacking as a ballhandler, examining the defense and his defender to determine out which transfer in his arsenal — crossovers, stutter ways, Euro steps — to deploy.

At 6-10 with a 7-foot-plus wingspan, Wagner has the sizing to complete around defenders even if they are in front of him. There have been many times he took benefit of his duration by fully extending his arms around or underneath his defender for finishes all around the rim. He’s been effective with his floater versus fall defenses, an area he also thrived in as a rookie.

Wagner has been additional ready to enable it fly from further than the arc with Germany — specifically off the dribble, a superior counter in opposition to fall defenses — using 5.95 3s for each 36 minutes in EuroBasket as opposed to 4 in his initial year in Orlando. The FIBA 3-stage line might be nearer to the basket than the NBA’s, but Wagner has been multiple techniques guiding the arc for a lot of of his 3s.

He’s even blended in a good sum of pull-up midrange jumpers, a shot he did not just take a lot in 2021-22. He took just 26 extensive midrange pictures previous period, which was 3% of his subject goal tries in accordance to Cleaning The Glass, producing 8. Getting much more cozy with this shot will give Wagner a different instrument in his “bag” when defenses are in a fall — a typical coverage to just take absent the rim.

Reducing/spacing

With Schröder remaining the direct creator and Germany acquiring multiple ballhandling guards, Wagner’s offensive role has been equivalent to his 1 with the Magic. He thrived as a cutter and place-up shooter in the course of his rookie time and that is ongoing with Germany.

Wagner has a excellent perception of timing on his cuts, ready for the paint to open up up and for his defender to lose track of him when turning their head.

He’s brief and decisive with his cuts, leaving defenders very little time to recuperate.

Germany has leaned on smaller-ball lineups throughout critical moments in online games. Wagner makes those people lineups do the job simply because of the house he generates when stationed in the corner as a shooter.

He made 43.9% (29 of 66) of his corners 3 in 2021-22 and 37.6% of his 3s (62 of 165) in which he shot with no getting a dribble. Both of those are good-to-excellent marks.

Wagner matches into a assortment of offensive devices and strategies since of his flexibility. Like the Magic did very last period, Germany leaning on Wagner’s plug-and-engage in techniques has been effective.

Protection

Wagner mainly has guarded players whose offensive responsibilities are spacing the ground in the corner, leaving him with options to display his state-of-the-art competencies as an off-ball defender.

He was an advanced rookie defender because he understands exactly where to be on the flooring, stays ready to sink into the paint or bounce out to the perimeter and covers ground well away from the ball.

Wagner’s block (.7%) and steal (1.2%) percentages may possibly be on the lower end for a greater ahead but he is aware how to disrupt performs even if it doesn’t demonstrate up in a traditional box score.

He does nicely aiding the helper and retains his arms distribute out to shut off passing lanes. Wagner also can make game-modifying spotlight-worthy defensive plays.

On the ball, Wagner has been Germany’s most effective defender from even larger wings. He was the most effective matchup from Luka Dončić in their lone loss to Slovenia on Tuesday, while Germany switched most of the on-ball screens involving Dončić to maintain a defender in front of him.

Wagner’s time defending Dončić was also restricted once he received into foul issues.

He knows how to swipe the ball out of players’ arms and get all ball but from time to time fouls are known as in any case.

Wagner appears to be like noticeably more robust in comparison to how he ended his rookie time, assisting him hold his floor defensively immediately after getting bumps. He does a good task of forcing defenders into aid.

Wagner has revealed he can maintain his own in opposition to scaled-down ballhandlers, albeit with the amount of guard perform in EuroBasket not currently being at the same level as the NBA on a recreation-to-video game basis.

Even when more compact guards make place versus him, Wagner takes advantage of his dimensions and size nicely to go over ground and contest their pictures. Wagner guarding smaller gamers could open up even bigger lineups for the Magic, who have many adaptable and bigger forwards who could share the flooring.

Places of advancement

Ending at rim

Like several rookies, ending under website traffic was an place of issue for Wagner.

He does nicely with acquiring to the rim but can wrestle as soon as he’s there. Wagner manufactured 60% of his shots inside of 4 ft of the basket final year, a underneath-normal mark for forwards, according to Cleaning The Glass.

Effectiveness at the rim is important for any participant on the lookout to make strides in their enhancement, primarily wings who deal with the ball.

It can be easier for defenders to contest and disrupt his pictures at the rim mainly because he doesn’t continuously produce a sizeable total of house on his drives.

Wagner is bigger and more powerful than he was, but not to the level he’s bumping even bigger defenses off their spots.

He admitted finding quicker, more robust and dealing with contact better were being parts he wished to work on in the course of the offseason. Whilst it is obvious he’s built enhancements in these parts, extra can be designed.

Display screen navigation

If there is a single defensive region Wagner can enhance at, it is navigating around screens.

This generally can be tricky for even larger wings for the reason that they’re a even larger focus on.

He’s robust ample for a great display screen to not toss him off his path and massive adequate to even now contest a shot after acquiring hit by a very good display screen. But that sliver of room can be the distinction among a superior and bad shot allowed.

This article very first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Electronic mail Khobi Selling price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or abide by him on Twitter at @khobi_value.

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