Magic SF Franz Wagner 'A Special Player', Says Paolo Banchero

"The great thing about Franz is ... he just wants to win," Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero said. "That's what makes him such a special player."

Jeremy Brener | Dec 24, 2023

Magic SF Franz Wagner 'A Special Player', Says Paolo Banchero /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic is back on top after a 117-110 win against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The win gave the Magic its 17th win of the season just before Christmas. A year ago, the Magic grabbed its 17th win on Jan. 20, a sign that the team has improved tremendously.

Part of that improvement has been in large part due to Franz Wagner and his development going into his third NBA campaign.

Franz Wagner Herb Jones Pelicans — Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

"The responsibility he carries game in and game out ... speaks a lot to how good of a player he is," Paolo Banchero said postgame. "And then just his ability to produce at the way that he does.

"The great thing about Franz is ... he just wants to win. That's what makes him such a special player."

Wagner's success kind of goes hand-in-hand with the team's success. When Wagner scores 17 or more points, the Magic is 16-4. When he scores 16 or less, the team is just 1-7. This includes his 24-point performance in Saturday's win against the Indiana Pacers.

Magic Beats Pacers, Ending Losing Streak

Wagner has been a major key to the Magic's rebuild and will continue to be an important piece towards Orlando's development in the years to come. If he continues at the rate that he's been progressing, the Magic should find itself in the contender conversation sooner rather than later.

Wagner and the Magic will take off for Christmas but return to the court on Tuesday when the team visits the Washington Wizards. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

Published Dec 24, 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.