ESPN NBA Player Rankings: Where's Orlando Magic SF Franz Wagner?

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner is emerging as one of the NBA's best players.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 10, 2023

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner's expectations continue to grow as he enters his third NBA season.

Wagner, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, has emerged as one of the better players in the NBA and a franchise cornerstone for the Magic.

ESPN released its Top 100 player rankings ahead of the season and Wagner clocked in at No. 52.

"A strong summer performance could be something Wagner builds on after helping Germany to the FIBA World Cup championship," ESPN writes. "Wagner, who was on the World Cup's All-Tournament second team, averaged 18.6 points in his sophomore campaign last year for an Orlando squad that went 29-28 after a 5-20 start."

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Standing as a 6-10 small forward, Wagner's height combined with his shooting and athleticism makes for a truly deadly option anywhere on the court. Filling in the gaps where Banchero doesn't, he is a strong candidate to have a breakout season.

Wagner comes off a season where he averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. He also made a 3-point improvement to his points average from his rookie season despite having fewer opportunities to score.

If Wagner can continue his trajectory, he could get some All-Star consideration this season and a climb in ESPN's rankings a year from now.

Wagner's season on the court begins tonight when the Magic travels to the Big Easy to take on the New Orleans Pelicans in the first game of the preseason. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

Published Oct 10, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.