All eyes are on Franz Wagner when he gets the ball beyond the arc.
Everyone is carefully examining his shooting motion and accuracy from deep. They want to see if he will shoot with confidence or pass up on open shots. They want to see if Wagner can recapture the shooting from his first two seasons that previewed him as a potential three-level scorer.
As Wagner begins his work with the German national team ahead of Eurobasket, his 3-point shot is in focus.
Through six 3-point attempts, the noticeable hitch that frustrated and mystified fans throughout the second half of last season is completely gone. His motion looks fluid and compact. It looks like it will go in.
The results? Just one make in six attempts in two games. Wagner is still seeking results from deep. Perhaps they will come when Eurobasket begins. This is still a small sample.
Everyone's eyes are on that shot. Because everything else still looks good.
Wagner turned in 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting, darting through the lane to finish at the rim and getting to the line in an 80-70 win over Slovenia to sweep the weekend friendly series (Luka Doncic sat out Sunday's game).
Wagner hit four critical free throws to loosen a tight game in the final two minutes as Germany's defense clamped down to put the game away, holding Slovenia to three points in the final seven minutes. He was +19 in the plus/minus. A typical Wagner stat line.
Wagner is shining again in the spotlight and seems to be ready to put in another strong showing in a major international tournament. He will again be a key component of a team expected to medal and win big.
Still, there is no escaping the shooting struggles. There is no escaping the biggest thing Wagner wants to add to his game. Every shot and every motion is going to be scrutinized.
And it is important. But it is not the only thing Wagner was working on this summer.
In an interview he gave at the Germany National Team's media day, he said he was also working on his post game. He wanted to do better at taking advantage of smaller defenders on the block. And with how big Wagner is, along with his expert ball handling and footwork, this was a skill that would serve him well.
Wagner sometimes quietly puts together big games without many highlights, squeezing into gaps. It is hard for him to play without his impact being obvious.
But one thing has stood out about his game so far, his low-post footwork is a lot better. He has found another way to score near the basket and use his size and guile to get past defenders.
His post game has indeed improved.
Franz on the block
The highlight of Sunday's game for Franz Wagner (as a scorer at least, he played a nice 2-on-1 assist to Dennis Schroder in the third quarter and then followed it by collecting a chase-down block and finishing with a layup in transition) was a move he made in the second quarter.
He got his defender in the mid-post and began backing him down before spinning baseline quickly away from the defense and hitting a reverse layup.
It is the kind of quick move that a 6-foot-10 forward is not supposed to be able to make. But what makes Wagner unique and dangerous on the basketball court is that he has the strength of a forward of his size with the quickness and processing of someone much smaller.
Teams almost want to chance putting a smaller player on Wagner to keep some quickness on him and keep him from getting downhill where he can be so dangerous.
Focusing on his post game and trying to find news ways to score closer to the basket might almost be a way for Wagner to avoid having to rely on 3-point shooting against these smaller defenders.
It can still be crazy effective. Especially for a Magic team that works so hard to create mismatches to pick on.
Potential to translate
Focusing on his post-game will be a good thing. Franz Wagner was one of the best post-up players on the team last year.
According to tracking data from NBA.com, Wagner averaged 1.06 points per possession on 1.6 post-up possessions per game last year. That ranked behind only centers Goga Bitadze and Moe Wagner on the team. He was in the 69th percentil in the league for post-ups.
That suggests Wagner still has room for improvement and can be a better player on the block. But he has the requisite skills to work the block and find ways to score there. Diversifying Wagner's game is still a good skill for him to pursue.
Posting up may be essential for this German team. Working on this aspect of his game or mentioning it might be more of a preview of his role for Eurobasket.
Daniel Theis sat out both games against Slovenia. With Isaiah Hartenstein and Moe Wagner unavailable, this is a notably smaller team. Wagner is playing power forward a lot more, and his presence on the interior is far more valuable.
The Orlando Magic are not likely to use Wagner the same way.
It's still about shooting
Everything still comes down to his shooting. It comes down to whether Franz Wagner can hit from the outside.
Wagner has long proven he can score effectively and load up on points even without a three-point shot. But everyone feels the pressure of not having Wagner's shot. Germany does not feel that pressure with far more shooters available on the roster.
Wagner is still getting his share of 3-point attempts. Most of them are off the dribble when he is working on the perimeter. But Wagner is trying to be available to score any way his team needs.
And he promised he had worked on his post game. Those at least have given some promising early returns.
But everyone is still watching to see how much Wagner has grown and whether his shooting will follow.