(Photo by Yong Teck Lim/Getty Images)
There are plenty of NBA fans who don’t know much about Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic.
But in a few years, he could be a household name.
NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor is very impressed by Wagner and what he recently did for Team Germany in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
“Wagner could someday become a top-20 player. In a 2021 redraft, he could easily go first—ahead of even Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes,” O’Connor said, according to NBACentral.
“Wagner could someday become a top-20 player. In a 2021 redraft, he could easily go first—ahead of even Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley, and Scottie Barnes.”
– @KevinOConnorNBA on Franz Wagner pic.twitter.com/cO0w7brvyp
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 11, 2023
When you look at his numbers, you can’t help but be impressed by the young German forward.
He averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists on 48.5% from the floor during the 2022-23 season.
But Wagner plays for the Magic and often gets overshadowed by rookie phenom Paolo Banchero.
Additionally, the team doesn’t garner much attention due to its weak standing in the Eastern Conference.
But that could all change over the next few years.
As the young stars in Orlando get better and find more chemistry with each other, they could win a lot more and turn heads throughout the league.
If that happens, basketball fans will uncover all that Wagner can do.
Being the second-best player on a team behind the reigning Rookie of the Year is pretty impressive.
Wagner is hoping he can continue to improve his stat line and also assist the team in winning more.
He was selected as the eighth overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, behind others like Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, and, of course, Cade Cunningham.
But can Wagner keep getting better and eventually surpass those players?
He just averaged 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists on his way to a gold medal at the World Cup.
What can Wagner do in 2023-24?
The post Analyst Says German Star Could Become A Top-20 NBA Player appeared first on The Cold Wire.