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In the 10 games since Paolo Banchero went down with a torn oblique, Franz Wagner is averaging 25.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 2.1 threes per game. Here are the players that have averaged those marks over the course of a full season:
James Harden (3x)
Luka Doncic (3x, including this season)
Russell Westbrook (MVP season)
Nikola Jokic (this season)
Jayson Tatum (this season)
It took him and the team a few games to adjust to life without Paolo, but it is clear that they’ve figured things out, which will make them even more dangerous by the time the playoffs come around. Orlando has now won six games in a row and have held their opponents to fewer than 100 points in all six games.
The defense has been elite, but the offense was a concern when it was announced that Banchero would be sidelined until at least early December. Clearly, responsibility was going to shift to Wagner. Can he play the role of a superstar? Or would the defensive attention be too much for him to handle?
It’s a small sample size, but Wagner has thrived with the opportunity to spread his wings and lead the team. Can he maintain this over the course of a full season? Perhaps not, but they don’t need him to. If he can keep the Magic afloat until Banchero returns, things will get easier for him. However, this is also a great chance for both him and the rest of his teammates to grow. Wagner is figuring out how to be a superstar in this league, and having that type of player next to Paolo is going to give the Magic a chance to make a run this season.
Shooting/scoring
Wagner is one of the best finishers in the league, but he actually hasn’t been quite as efficient in that area this season. He has shot 62.8% in the restricted area this year, which is actually down from 67.5% last season. Wagner has taken 6.3 shots per game in the restricted area, and the only non-centers that have shot a higher percentage and taken at least six shots per game in that zone are Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, LeBron James, Jeremy Sochan and Banchero. Even if he has been slightly worse this season, he’s still among the elite that…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/fantasy-basketball-dynasty-weekly-franz-224141328.html
Author : NBC Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-19 22:41:00
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