The Magic Insider

Magic's Franz Wagner 'All About Winning,' Says Coach Jamahl Mosley

Franz Wagner scored a season-high 34 points in the Orlando Magic's win over the Toronto Raptors Friday night.

Jeremy Brener

Magic's Franz Wagner 'All About Winning,' Says Coach Jamahl Mosley
Magic's Franz Wagner 'All About Winning,' Says Coach Jamahl Mosley /

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is celebrating today after Friday night's big win against the Toronto Raptors. And it wouldn't have been possible without Franz Wagner.

The second-year pro from Michigan scored a season-high 34 in Friday's win against the Raptors and came up with a clutch rebound and put back down the stretch to give the Magic the go-ahead bucket.

“He’s about winning," coach Jamahl Mosley said. "We’ve said this from the beginning of the year. He’s one of the most competitive guys I've been around and add the basketball IQ on top of that. That’s what makes him special.”

Mosley praised Wagner for his mentality, and the former Michigan Wolverine repaid the favor, crediting the coaching staff for his successful night.

“I think this game shows that it works, what the coaches are telling us," Wagner said. "They’re telling us to get to the paint and then make decisions from there. Toronto is really good at collapsing to the paint and defending that room. In that second and third action is when you get baskets at the rim most of the time. I think it’s just a credit to how we moved the basketball around and let everybody touch it throughout the possession.”

Wagner's 34 points are the most by any Magic player this season. For a team that ranks 29th in the league in scoring and 27th in offensive rating, it's a breath of fresh air for Orlando to have a volume scorer like Wagner.

He'll hope to keep his offensive game sharp in Sunday's rematch with the Raptors. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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Jeremy Brener
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.

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