Not qualified for the quarter-final of the NBA Tournament, despite three victories in four matches, the Magic still had an excellent start to the season. With 14 wins in 20 matches, Orlando is in second place in the Eastern Conference, and Jamahl Mosley was praised for this success, with a coach of the month trophy.
Franz Wagner and his teammates occupy the podium with two expected teams: Boston and Milwaukee. They are the surprise, even if the German world champion does not feel like one.
“I’m not necessarily going to say that I’m surprised because we’re building on what we did last season”he judges for HoopsHype. “We had a difficult start last year, with injuries, but over the last 60 matches, we played pretty good basketball. What has changed compared to last season is our belief in ourselves. When we arrive in the room, we believe in ourselves, we think we can win. It's our mindset and it's the biggest change in mentality and approach. »
Take advantage of the surprise effect and continue to progress
That's what's going on in the minds of Floridians. But on the pitch, how do the Magic make the difference and can they string together victories? “With our collective defense. We do a good job in this area and it allows us to have easy baskets”answers Franz Wagner.
What if the Magic also benefited from a surprise effect? ” Good question “, says the German, world champion last summer, to our colleagues. “You have to ask your opponents. There are still a lot of matches to play so it doesn't really matter whether we are expected or not. »
As the appetite comes with eating, these first successful weeks of the season caused a renewed ambition for the Magic. “We want to make the playoffs,” announces Franz Wagner. “Last season, we were four or five matches away from making the play-in. We must continue to progress, that will be the most important thing. Because other training will improve and we need to do the same. »
| Franz Wagner | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2021-22 | ENT | 79 | 31 | 46.8 | 35.4 | 86.3 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 4.5 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 15.2 |
| 2022-23 | ENT | 80 | 33 | 48.5 | 36.1 | 84.2 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
| 2023-24 | ENT | 20 | 33 | 46.6 | 32.7 | 84.3 | 1.2 | 4.6 | 5.8 | 3.5 | 2.2 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 20.7 |
| Total | 179 | 32 | 47.5 | 35.4 | 84.9 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 3.3 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 17.3 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
