Of Franz Wagner‘s seven assists recorded during Orlando‘s first preseason game last Wednesday at Memphis, five passes came out of drives to the basket.
Read more Rays of sunshine: 2008, 2020 teams won ALCS; 2026 club trying. Which is best?
Whether it was a kickout pass to an open Wendell Carter Jr. for a corner 3-pointer or a dump-off pass to a cutting Goga Bitadze for a slam dunk, Wagner’s ability to drive in the paint, read the floor and find an open teammate was on full display against the Grizzlies.
“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.”
Added veteran center Nikola Vucevic: “He’s a smart player. He doesn’t really get rushed. He takes his time.”
While it’s worth noting the Magic were without guard Jalen Suggs (illness) and Anthony Black (right ankle sprain) in their preseason opener, Wagner had the ball in his hands plenty when initiating Orlando’s offense during his 14 first-half minutes.
His assist percentage ended at 50% – meaning he recorded half of Orlando’s assists while he has while on the court at Memphis – according to advanced statistics from NBA.com.
How often Wagner will initiate Orlando’s offense once the regular season begins and Suggs returns to the court remains to be seen, but Magic coach Sean Sweeney is more than confident in asking the German forward to do so on a nightly basis.
“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.”
Read more Letters: Retain Muñiz | Nixon will protect abuse survivors | Money rules politics
“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.”
After traveling to Cleveland for their second exhibition Sunday, the Magic host the Cavaliers for their first home game of the preseason Tuesday at Kia Center (7 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN).
Coach’s challenge
The Magic called their first challenge under Sweeney during the second quarter of last Wednesday’s preseason game. Orlando disagreed with officials about a foul on Vucevic, but the call stood after the review.
While it’s up to the head coach to challenge a foul or not, most coaching staffs have a dedicated staff member watching a replay on a tablet to help inform a decision.
Sweeney mentioned Magic assistant coach Jon Harris, who previously worked in San Antonio as an assistant video coordinator and player development coach, when sharing insight into his philosophy about challenging calls.
“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, just 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.”
Read more Samantha Josephs’ ‘Carrying’ will leave you gagging, but in a good way
Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
Up next
What: Magic vs. Cavaliers, preseason
When: 7 p.m., Tuesday, Kia Center
TV: Peacock/NBCSN