It’s not often that we love focus on a player in a loss. Generally, the platform is given priority to the winner, and this night the Bucks quite logically dismissed the Magic (127-110), despite a little scare at the finish. However, the number 1 story of this match was not in Milwaukee, it was in Orlando: Franz Wagner released a mixtape once more.
Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes.
Cade Cunningham, Alperen Sengun.
Oh and Chris Duarte, and Jonathan Kuminga too. Josh Giddey? Cam Thomas!
For more than two months now, the NBA season has started and some rookies have stood out. Returning to the hearts of fans or outside observers, a few young people were able to take advantage of the place given to them to express their talent and thus stand out from the crowd. However, in this little game, there is sometimes a framework that allows you to hear and know more regarding one than regarding others. If your team is good for example (Cavs), we will no longer mention you (Mobley). And if your game is spectacular (Barnes), we will afford to add a case. But what if your team sucks? Or, to clarify, what if your team tries to fight but really sucks in their results? Well you can quickly end up in oblivion. This is the case of Franz Wagner, selected in 8th place in the 2021 Draft and whose team is today at 21 defeats in 28 games played. Yes, Orlando sucks. And the first to suffer is the young Wagner. A bit like Herb Jones, who we will talk regarding in detail later, and who also does his crazy things discreetly in the galleys of New Orleans.
Why write in detail regarding Franz Wagner today? Already for its performance itself: 38 points at 12/20 in shooting, 4/8 in three-pointers, 10/10 in throws, accompanied by 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 interception and 1 once morest. No rookie has reached such a total of points this season, to begin with. No Orlando player has shown so much fighting, too, in a game that looked like a losing streak. Do you have Milwaukee almost full coming to your house? What do you expect other than a spanking? And precisely, without ever leaving the match, Franz did the job and his teammates did the same to try to make the defending champion sweat a little. For the performance itself therefore, it was necessary to write on it. But not only.
Franz Wagner (@franzboogie) poured in 38 PTS for the @OrlandoMagic setting the single game high in points by a rookie this season!
38 PTS
7 REB
4 3PM pic.twitter.com/X3fzjQ6RmG— NBA (@NBA) December 29, 2021
When you follow NBA games every night, there is a flood of information, performances, wins or losses that accumulates at breakneck speed. We barely digested a result that we have to move on to, it’s the madness of the regular season. However, in all these meetings, in all these performances, these good or bad quarters, these nice or horrible movements, there are moments that we isolate. Moments that we do not forget, because these will remain in the memories. So you’re gonna tell me, bro what’s up with you? An Orlando loss to the Bucks in the middle of December, you will really remember something so trivial?
Yes.
Because there are performances during which it is not a number of points or an action that makes the difference, it is a whole. And in the attitude, in the level of play presented by Franz Wagner that night, there was something as obvious as it was brilliant. You don’t attack Khris Middleton ball in hand with such audacity and efficiency. You don’t bypass Giannis Antetokounmpo with a euro-step with so much mobility. You do not observe the opposing defense, and a Jrue Holiday who comes to press you, with so much patience. You don’t give yourself as much in a random encounter, on both sides of the pitch, at such a young age. Tonight, Franz Wagner put an exclamation mark on a rookie campaign that just isn’t talked regarding enough. The best points average of the Draft 2021? It’s him (15.6). The most aggressive boy in his class while returning 36% of his three-point shots? It’s him. Evan Mobley and the Cavs fans get ready, because it will be difficult not to spin the trophy for Rookie of the Month for December in the East to another boy than Franz, he who will punctuate the month of Christmas with more than 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists average. And few people talk regarding it, not enough people talk regarding it.
Sending numbers is one thing, but the way is important. And tonight, seeing the reactions of the Bucks players, seeing the observers looking at each other following every Wagner move, there was something special. Yes, this match may have been trivial for many people, but it was not for the author. When you plant 38 on the defending champions and they are forced to adjust defensively because you are putting defenders one by one in the sauce, it can be taken for a one-night stand, but it can also be mistaken for one more exquisite performance following a long line of beauties on the court. Franz Wagner falls into the second category, certainly.
He’s not the player we’re going to talk regarding the most, for all the reasons explained above. But if you are curious? Look at Orlando. And look at the young Franz Wagner, who continues to progress in this Magic team and is already establishing himself as one of the pearls of this 2021 Draft. The reconstruction will be long, but there is already a guaranteed crack to develop in the ranks of Florida .
