Franz Wagner didn’t know what to expect from his rookie season with the Orlando Magic.
Wagner, the No. 8 pick in last year’s draft, was one of the Magic’s two lottery picks along with Jalen Suggs, the No. 5 pick.
They joined Orlando just four months after the team kicked off a rebuild in March 2021 when it traded multiple franchise mainstays. Wagner was going to get a chance to develop.
“I didn’t know how stuff was going to work out,” he said. “I was very pleased with how good I felt when I played in terms of my body and how I was able to play so many games. That’s something that’s not that easy to do.”
Wagner exceeded expectations by playing at an elite level for a rookie most of the season.
He averaged 15.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 30.7 minutes (79 starts in 79 appearances). His games played were the most by a rookie while his 1,197 points led all first-year players.
Wagner also shot 46.8% from the field — 51.1% on 2-pointers, 35.4% on 3-pointers — and 86.3% on free throws, finishing with a 55.9% true shooting percentage which is a formula that incorporates free throws and higher-value 3-point shots.
His consistency and versatility helped him stand out in a stellar class. He finished that was awarded to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes and is expected to be named to an All-Rookie team.
Wagner shot at least 47% from the floor every month except for November (40%). Regardless of his offensive role, (1.1 points per cut) and was reliable as a spot-up shooter.
But when asked to do more, Wagner stepped up.
When the Magic were dealing with multiple injuries and COVID-19-related absences in December, Wagner averaged 19.5 points (47.6% shooting, 40.4% on 3-pointers), 5.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists en route to being the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month.
He showed he could more than handle an uptick in reps as a and in . created scoring opportunities not just for himself but .
“There’s some stuff you can’t control and opportunity is one of those things,” Wagner said. “That made my development a little quicker — being able to try some stuff, make some mistakes, learn on the fly and be in situations I wasn’t necessarily in a lot in college. I like those challenges and I’m very grateful for the coaching staff giving me [those opportunities].”
There’s more room for Wagner to grow, with the 6-10 German forward saying getting stronger will be key for him so he can handle contact better.
His 3-point shooting was inconsistent, dipping as low as 25% for a month (January) and going as high as above 40% multiple times (October, December and February).
“The weight room is going to be really important for me,” Wagner said. “It’ll help me be a little quicker, a little stronger and find contact when I’m driving, maybe creating some more fouls. And being a more consistent shooter.
“I’ll take some time off and when it’s time to get back to it I’ll definitely work on my body a lot. Get a lot stronger. Doing a lot more stuff on the dribble — ballhandling, shooting off the dribble. Hopefully, that’ll help me next year.”
This article first appeared on . Email Khobi Price at khprice@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on Twitter at .
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