When Paolo Banchero got hurt with an oblique injury, many thought the Orlando Magic would struggle. But Franz Wagner made sure that didn’t happen.
Wagner’s Stellar Performance:
On Wednesday night, Wagner was on fire against the Philadelphia 76ers. He scored 35 points, grabbed seven rebounds, dished out two assists, and blocked a shot. His efforts led Orlando to a close win of 106-102 on the road.
Franz continued his dominant stretch with another BIG outing!
๐ 35 PTS
๐ 7 REB
๐ Magic W (13-2 in last 15)— NBA (@NBA)
Magic’s Winning Streak:
The Magic have been on a roll, winning 13 of their last 15 games. Wagner has been key to this success with career-high averages in points (23.7), rebounds (5.6), and assists (5.9) over his first 23 games. He’s shooting at an impressive rate tooโ46.4% from the field.
Fans love seeing players grow like this!
Most Improved Player Contender:
It’s no surprise that Wagner is being talked about as a top contender for Most Improved Player this season. According to FanDuel Sportsbook, he has the best odds to win the award (+165). Josh Robbins from The Athletic even picked him as his choice for Most Improved Player.
“As a wise NBA writer wrote 11 months ago, the most meaningful jump a player can make is the jump from good player to star player,” Robbins noted about Wagner’s progress.
Looking Ahead for Orlando:
The Magic are currently third in the Eastern Conference standings behind only Boston and Cleveland. When Banchero comes back from his injury, he and Wagner could become an unstoppable duo for Orlando! Before getting hurt, Banchero was averaging impressive numbers himself: 29 points per game along with solid rebounding and assisting stats.
In the meantime, expect Wagner to keep shining bright for Orlando and maybe even earn his first All-Star Game appearance!
