Franz Wagner didn’t just fill up the assist column in Orlando’s preseason opener - he controlled the flow of the game.
In last Wednesday’s loss at Memphis, Wagner finished with seven assists, and five of them came when he put pressure on the defense by driving into the paint. That’s where his passing game showed up loudest: a kickout to Wendell Carter Jr. for a corner 3, a dump-off to Goga Bitadze for a dunk, and a steady string of reads that kept the Magic moving.
“He’s a really great passer,” Magic guard Jase Richardson said this week about Wagner. “I mean, he had seven assists easily.
So, he’s a great passer. He knows where guys are going to be (and) his timing is impeccable.
It’s just so easy to play with a guy who knows the game and can see the floor like that.”
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic had a similar read on Wagner’s game.
“He’s a smart player. He doesn’t really get rushed. He takes his time.”
Orlando was missing Jalen Suggs, who sat with an illness, and Anthony Black, who was out with a right ankle sprain. Even so, Wagner handled plenty of the offensive setup work in his 14 first-half minutes, often bringing the ball up and getting the Magic organized.
The numbers backed up what the eye test showed. Wagner posted a 50% assist percentage, according to NBA.com, meaning he accounted for half of Orlando’s assists while he was on the floor in Memphis.
How much of that responsibility carries over once the regular season starts and Suggs is back remains to be seen. But Magic coach Sean Sweeney made it clear Wagner has already earned trust in that role.
“We want all those guys to feel confident bringing the basketball up the floor, and Franz happened to have the opportunity last game a decent amount,” Sweeney said. “But he’s been doing that all camp and he’s done a great job with it.”
“His seven assists showed his ability to pass, so we have a lot of confidence in him to bring it up, as we do with a number of our other guys.”
The Magic will be back in action after their second exhibition Sunday in Cleveland, then return home Tuesday for their first preseason game at Kia Center against the Cavaliers at 7 p.m. on Peacock/NBCSN.
Sweeney also touched on another piece of game management from the preseason opener: Orlando’s first challenge under his watch. The Magic used it in the second quarter on a foul call against Vucevic, but the ruling stood after review.
Sweeney said the staff treats those decisions as a group effort, with assistant coach Jon Harris helping evaluate when it makes sense to use a challenge. Harris, who previously worked in San Antonio as an assistant video coordinator and player development coach, has experience in that kind of role.
“We put a lot of emphasis on what we want to challenge and how we want to do it,” Sweeney said. “A decent amount of it is points and value added vs. not added, for lack of a better term there.
So, we look at what takes place and does it make sense to challenge it each and every game. Jon Harris and I have experience from when we were in San Antonio together.”
“He handled challenges there, but, in general, we study it as a staff,” Sweeney added. “And then ultimately if a call is made, it’s mine to make or screw up.”
In Other News...
Magic Preseason Is Already Putting Sean Sweeney On The Spot
The Magic got their preseason off to a winning start with a 122-118 victory over Memphis, and the opener offered an early look at how the rotation could take shape under Sean Sweeney. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane all saw the floor, giving Orlando some of its expected core pieces in action as the team begins sorting out roles before the games count.
What stood out just as much was who was missing from the mix. Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Noah Penda did not play, which leaves the preseason spotlight on how Orlando handles its point guard picture and where a young player like Penda might fit once the lineup starts tightening up. For a team trying to sharpen its identity, those absences make the coming games feel less like tune-ups and more like auditions. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Center Battle Could Force A Tough Rotation Decision
Training camp has given the Magic plenty to sort through in the frontcourt, where Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Nikola Vucevic are all pushing for clearer roles. The competition is exactly the kind of problem Orlando wants, with each big man bringing a different look and coach Sean Sweeney weighing how that mix could shape the rotation once the games count.
For Carter, the daily work against Bitadze and Vucevic has become part of the value of camp, with the matchup variety helping sharpen his game. Bitadze, meanwhile, has viewed Carter as a tough interior presence to deal with, and that kind of back-and-forth only adds to the sense that Orlandos coaching staff may have some real decisions ahead as it tries to balance versatility, fit and minutes in the paint. [Read more 🡒]
Orlandos New-Look Core Faces Early Pressure Against The Cavs
The second preseason meeting between Cleveland and Orlando arrives with both teams already carrying a little extra weight. The Magic have spent the offseason reshaping their identity, bringing in Desmond Bane and changing coaches in hopes of turning a promising roster into something sturdier, while the Cavaliers are using these early exhibition games to tighten up the edges after an opening loss exposed some sloppiness on the defensive glass.
For Orlando, the pressure is more than cosmetic. A group built to win now has heard enough about playoff misfires to know the expectations have changed, and this matchup offers another early snapshot of how quickly the new look can take hold. Cleveland, meanwhile, should lean more heavily on its starters this time, with Kenny Atkinson expecting a longer run for key pieces and a possible return for James Harden, making the game feel a little less like preseason and a little more like a test. [Read more 🡒]