Tristan da Silva has not done very much in EuroBasket to this point.
He is coming off the bench and is really only counted on to be a 3-and-D wing. On this team, he is not even the best shooter coming off the bench with guard Maodo Lo on the team and Dennis Schroder often manning the point. Da Silva has had few opportunities.
He has still taken them when they come. But he knows that is not his role.
His role is purely additive. He is there to fill in gaps and take his chances when they are there. It is what the Orlando Magic will want from the second year forward.
His stats through the first three games were modest -- 16 total points, 5-for-15 shooting and 1-for-7 shooting from three. The shot was not falling at the same rate it did during the friendlies. But it was hard to say da Silva was making any mistakes.
Then came Monday's game against Great Britain.
In a game that Germany was expected to win and win big -- 112-57 final score to move Germany to 4-0 -- it was Tristan da Silva who was the starring player, or at least the leading scorer.
He had 25 points on 10-for-12 shooting, adding 5-for-7 shooting from three. It was the kind of breakthrough game that da Silva has been waiting for. The kind of game that is possible with his shooting ability.
It has always been about putting all the pieces together.
Against a weaker Great Britain team, da Silva showed what is possible. More than anything, it was a game to build confidence.
That is about the only thing Germany could get out of such a big blowout victory. And the Magic's three players are gaining confidence very quickly.
Da Silva as a shooter
Tristan da Silva's promise was to have games like the one he had on Monday. One that he does not necessarily attack and create his own shots, but when the ball swings to him he can hit threes and make multiple threes in a game.
Da Silva had 19 games making two or more 3-pointers last year. Only one of those came after the All-Star break. That speaks to how much da Silva fell off as the season went on, whether that was hitting the rookie wall or being taken out of the rotation as the team got healthier.
He had a few big games worth noting -- including hitting five threes in the January win over the Toronto Raptors and another five threes in the double overtime loss to the Miami Heat later that month.
That is to say, da Silva has shown the potential to have games like the one he had Monday against Great Britain. It has been figuring out how to unlock that game in him.
It is always better to know a player can do something even in these settings. And da Silva at least showed he has this kind of game in him.
That is enough to gain some confidence. And that is what the Magic wanted to see from da Silva. there are still bigger challenges ahead. But da Silva has a place to launch from.
Franz in control
Of course, the biggest story of the game -- the official player of the game -- was Franz Wagner.
No one is surprised by his scoring exploits anymore. He is one of the best players in this entire tournament. A ho-hum 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting is nothing to write much about.
He made three of his four 3-pointers, including yet another step back, to bring him to 6 for 12 from three in four EuroBasket games.
The thing that stood out was just how Wagner truly took what the defense was giving him. He had six of his 10 assists in the first quarter, flinging passes to open players. That included passing out of a 3-point attempt to find a teammate underneath the basket.
Wagner is one of the best players in this tournament. Everything has come together quickly for him. Now he is simply doing anything and controlling the tempo of every game.
It is not that much of a surprise that Wagner is an excellent passer. He averaged 4.7 per game last year. He had 11 assists in that big win over the Los Angeles Lakers early in the season. Wagner has always been capable of being a great passer. Having more shooting around him should help expand that.
But the most important thing is that Wagner has found his rhythm. He has found some balance and the ability to control games with his presence. That will translate to the NBA. And deeper in this tournament when the challenges will get tougher.
Goga goes big
Georgia still has work to do to advance out of group play. Georgia has a more manageable game against Cyprus on Tuesday before a finale against Bosnia and Herzegovina that should determine whether they advance.
The 40-point loss to Greece put Georgia in an unnecessary hole after the team's big upset win over Spain. Goga Bitadze sat out Sunday's game against Greece on a planned rest day. Georgia did not want to expend energy in a game it seemed it knew it would lose.
But Bitadze has been impressive through the first two games of EuroBasket for Georgia. He has 37 points and nine rebounds in his first two games. He has made 3 of 8 3-pointers.
It has been a good start to EuroBasket for Bitadze, one where he has shown growth as a defender and a consistent presence on offense.
There is often a thought of why these players want to play in these tournament -- beyond national pride, which is very important. Playing meaningful and competitive game is a much better way to test what players have worked on and are hoping to accomplish in the season.
All three of the Magic's players have taken strides in the group play of EuroBasket. There is plenty to be excited about.