When star ahead Paolo Banchero suffered an indirect harm, it appeared the Orlando Magic would sputter. Nevertheless, Franz Wagner has prevented that from taking place.
Wagner stayed sizzling on Wednesday night time vs. the Philadelphia 76ers. The 23-year-old ahead recorded 35 factors, seven rebounds, two assists and one block on 12-of-23 taking pictures from the sphere, main Orlando to a 106-102 street victory.
The Magic (16-8) have received 13 of their final 15 video games due partly to Wagner’s breakout.
Via his first 23 video games, he has averaged profession highs in factors per sport (23.7), rebounds per sport (5.6) and assists per sport (5.9). He is additionally taking pictures 46.4% from the sphere, the second-highest mark of his profession.
Unsurprisingly, the previous Michigan Wolverine is an early candidate for Most Improved Participant. As of Wednesday, FanDuel Sportsbook provides him the perfect odds to win the award (+165).
In a Wednesday roundtable, The Athletic’s Josh Robbins tabbed Wagner as his choose for Most Improved Participant.
“As a smart NBA author wrote 11 months in the past, essentially the most significant soar a participant could make is the soar from good participant to star participant,” wrote Robbins. “That is the soar Orlando’s Franz Wagner has made.”
The Magic are third within the Japanese Convention behind the Boston Celtics (18-4) and the Cleveland Cavaliers (19-3).
When Banchero returns to the lineup, he and Wagner ought to type a dynamic tandem, which ought to make Orlando even stronger. The Duke product averaged 29 factors per sport, 8.8 rebounds per sport and 5.6 assists per sport in 5 video games earlier than struggling his harm.
Within the meantime, count on Wagner to maintain carrying the Magic and present why he could should make his first All-Star Sport.
