The Magic Insider

Magic Starting 5: Scouts High on Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero Excited to Play With Teammates

The Magic Insider lists five of the biggest NBA storylines in addition to relevant Orlando Magic news and analysis.

Jeremy Brener

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

1. SCOUT HIGH ON FRANZ WAGNER

"He was good but not great at a lot of things offensively last year," the scout said. "He can score out of a ball screen, make you pay with his catch-and-shoot jumper, and he's a good cutter. It's a good foundation to have after the first year. I can see him going from 'good' to 'great' in many important areas since he's now comfortable with the NBA level."

2. PAOLO EXCITED TO PLAY WITH WASHINGTON ALUMNI

"Banchero isn't the only player on the Magic roster with connections to the pacific northwest. His teammates, Terrence Ross and Markelle Fultz, played for the University of Washington in college and tweeted about how he used to watch them as a kid."

3. KNICKS 'SHOCK THE WORLD'?

"They could shock the world and be a playoff team, but I look at the East and I’d have to say eighth to 13th is where they should be predicted (to finish)," Van Gundy told Marc Berman. "The Knicks have good players, but you line it up against the competition in the East, and this roster is not on the same level."

4. NEXT EUROBASKET GAME

Wagner and the German national team will have the next two days off before beginning knockout play against Montenegro Saturday. The winner of that game will likely face Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece.

5. MAGIC FACT OF THE DAY

Terrence Ross is the longest-tenured player for the Magic. He's played in 307 games over six seasons with the team.

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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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