At some point, late in the game, Franz Wagner showed this gesture to the audience. After another sunk three-point shot, he put his index finger to his lips and looked into the audience at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit as he ran back. “Pssssst, take it easy, people, nothing is burning here today,” that was supposed to mean. A little nod to opposing fans is something you can treat yourself to when almost everything goes well and the basket seems as big as a swimming pool.
Even though the Detroit Pistons defended themselves as best they could against Wagner’s Orlando Magic, it was clear at this point who was silencing who in this NBA game. The 111:99 gave Wagner’s team its third success in a row – and the German basketball player a point total that he had only achieved once before, a little over two years ago in a defeat against Milwaukee. Despite being careful with superlatives, this time it was in the state of Michigan, where the 22-year-old grew up to become a professional in college, but it was an even more special evening: If you talk about an outstanding performance, then a victory is part of it.
“Franz was incredible, he played so confidently,” enthused his coach Jamahl Mosley and immediately pointed out one special feature: “He scored 38 points without throwing a single free throw. That’s impressive. That’s the highest level.” The Berlin native fell into a kind of trance, especially after the break, a state of perfection in which every attempt sat. The complete package could be admired: dunks, three-pointers, lay-ups, arc lamp throws, he circled around the opponents with his expansive steps like a virtuoso in a ballet, so that Detroit’s defense capitulated.
It’s details in Franz Wagner’s offensive repertoire that make a difference
“I always managed to get into the zone, was able to run a lot of pick and rolls and hit my throws, which helps me stay in rhythm,” he explained at the press conference. The adrenaline on the floor was no longer noticeable; Wagner spoke calmly and calmly, as if he had just completed another day in the office. The recognition followed promptly, even from the opposing coach: “Because of his size alone, he is a very efficient role player and has a good feel for his actions,” said Pistons coach Monty Williams – although “role player” is a serious understatement if you think about it Wagner’s development considered.
In his third year in the NBA, he has not only continued to improve statistically (from 18 points per game to over 20), he has also refined the way he plays basketball. It’s details in his offensive repertoire that make a difference. Wagner recently spoke in Podcast by his former NBA colleague JJ Reddick about what he has planned: It’s about discovering slowness. “One aspect of my game that I want to improve is slowing down when I’m close to the basket,” he said on “TheOldMan&TheThree” in January.
A basketball player hitting the brake pedal? That sounds strange at first, especially in the NBA’s athletic circus you need all kinds of dynamics to score. But ultimately that’s exactly what promises advantages. “This delay gives me more control when finishing and helps me take fewer difficult throws from outside,” Wagner said. A master of this throttling tactic is Dallas Mavericks magician Luka Doncic, who uses similar finesse to slow down the tempo of the game so that he can calmly shake out the defenders. Wagner does the same thing, only at 2.08 meters he is a lot taller and has more jumping power than Doncic (2.01 meters).
The game against Detroit served as a blueprint for his learning process, which even carried over to the team. “Especially towards the end, the game slowed down,” the German observed, “so we were able to get the throws we needed.” And the free throws? Wagner didn’t need them this time, but like Doncic, he would like more from them, after all they guarantee even more easy baskets. “Attacking with physical contact is something I want to get better at,” explained Wagner, “then I’ll get free throws more often.” By the way, this discipline of basketball is also ideal for calming down opposing teams.