In the narrow victory against Portland, Franz Wagner scored 20 points Monday night. The Magic's top scorer, he only took two 3-point shots in the game, and that can be surprising for a winger. In fact, the German world champion is in the midst of a crisis with his shooting, to the point of shooting 14% from 3-point range in March! Generally speaking, Moe's brother signs his worst career average at 28% success on award-winning shots compared to more than 35% previously.
A clumsiness which has a general impact on his production, since he only reached the 20 point mark twice in March, against Washington then against Toronto, two of the worst teams of the moment. While he is averaging 19.6 points per game over the season, the Berlin native had nevertheless scored 30 points several times at the start of the season. But the post-All-Star Game did not work out for him, and he was the first to criticize its current form.
“ I probably don't shoot as well as I used to, and I'm just trying to make the right choices » recognized the winger before the match against Portland. “ I try to make the right choices every time and play aggressively. These are definitely not my craziest matches. But for the most part, I think I'm playing solid. »
A second wind in attack
His external skill in delicacy, Franz Wagner compensates with a general progression, whether it is seen in the statistics or not. The Magic player has improved on the rebound, with about one more grab on average, and he distributes a little more assists than the previous year. When he talks about aggressiveness, it is confirmed with more baskets near the circle and a little more free throws.
“He doesn’t just rely on his shot, he brings many other aspects to our game” likes Jamahl Mosley. “He has this ability to lead the game, this ability to finish near the circle. Defensively, he was fantastic. His ability to defend on several positions and sometimes swap from position 1 to position 4. He brings to the team much more than his shooting. »
And above all, Franz Wagner brings winning. After his world champion title, he is ready to play his first playoffs. The Magic (44v-31d) has not yet secured its place in the Top 6, but it can still hope to finish 3rd with only one more defeat than the Cavaliers (46v-30).
