Late in the fourth quarter, the Orlando Magic had started to pull away from the Philadelphia 76ers after entering the quarter tied. Franz Wagner was just putting the bow on this one.
With more than 30 points already in the game, Wagner was seeing a wall of defenders in front of him. But he is a star, and he knows how to break it down.
He split two defenders at the top of the key, dribbled past another and then braced for a massive hit from big man Guerschon Yabusele as he tried to dunk it over him. That was no good, but he got two free throws, goading the Sixers to try to challenge the play (even though they had already lost their challenge earlier in the game).
This was Wagner's world. He understood that with some patience he could find the hole in the defense. That is how he got to 35 points on 12-for-23 shooting. He was the aggressor getting downhill. He was the driving force for the team.
That is why coach Jamahl Mosley was shouting "All-Star" down the hallway as Franz Wagner spoke to the media after the Magic's 106-102 win on Wednesday, making sure everyone and especially an embarrassed Wagner could hear him.
It was his eighth straight game with 20 or more points, the longest streak of his career, and his seventh game with 30 or more points this season, matching his total from last year.
Wagner is the engine driving this offense. He is the offense in so many ways,. Their most consistent scorer and the one driving the team downhill and getting to the basket.
His secret is not so secret. He is just extremely efficient at what he does.
"I try to be consistent in everything I do," Franz Wagner said after Wednesday's win. "I try to focus on my habits before the game and the little rituals I've got. I try to be in the same mindset before the game. Obviously, with P out I have a lot more opportunity to be on the ball and be a lot more in the situations where I can make the decision. It's a challenge too. I'm still learning a lot. There's still stuff I can improve on."
The theme of the offense
Franz Wagner was already an efficient scorer in the paint before his breakout season this year. But even with all the responsibility and pressure that comes with being a star, Wagner continues to dominate the paint and scoring around the rim. The shooting is nice, but Wagner makes his living in the paint.
Wagner is shooting 65.5 percent within five feet of the basket with 39.3 percent of his total shots coming in that range. Last year, he shot a similar 65.4 percent from inside five feet, taking 48.3 percent of his shots within five feet. The added attention and defenses loading up to stop him has certainly cut back on his ability to attack the basket.
Or maybe it really has not. According to tracking data from Second Spectrum, Wagner averaged team-high 13.2 drives per game, scoring 8.4 points per game and dishing out 1.3 assists per game on those drives enering Wednesday's game. Last year, he was at 11.7 drives per game with 8.6 points and 1.0 assists per game.
This may be one of the few areas where Wagner has seen his efficiency drop. But every single one of these drives is vital. Wagner's ability to put pressure on the rim is the key to his success.
In his 35-point effort Wednesday, Wagner went 7 for 10 in the paint. He added an additional 4 for 4 from shots inside the paint outside the restricted area. On a night when Wagner's 3-point shot was not going—1 for 6—Wagner kept the pressure on the Philadelphia 76ers' defense with his ability to get to the basket and to the foul line, going 10 for 10.
This is the central theme of the Orlando Magic's offense, if it has one. Orlando's goal is to put pressure on the rim and pressure defenses with their ability to create mismatches, find creases and get to the basket. It has always been about winning the battle in the paint.
Wagner knows that well. He is a hard driver, getting downhill with any lane he can find and deftly moving around defenders for layups, floaters and flip shots. Only recently has he added the mid-range game to his attack.
When the offense stagnates—and it happens a lot considering the Magic are still ranked 23rd in the league in offensive rating and last in 3-point field goal percentage—it is usually because the Magic are caught on the perimeter and not getting to the paint or putting this pressure on the rim.
Or it is because they are caught watching Wagner try to find a way inside. Orlando must find ways to get Wagner going downhill and creative ways to touch the paint.
Sometimes it is simply about Wagner forcing his way in. And he is still deadly efficient at doing that.
But even with Paolo Banchero this is a central theme offensively. It is all about the Magic finding matchups they like and using their two playmaking forwards to put pressure on the rim, collapse the defense and kick out to shooters or start the defense in rotation.
It may be a simplistic thing. And it may not always work, especially against skilled defenses that switch or when teams pack the paint and dare the Magic to make shots. But this is the central focus of the offense.
With Wagner leading the way Wednesday night, the Magic were dominant in the paint. This is what they have come to expect of him during this stretch.
"Amazed of course, but I'm not surprised," Jonathan Isaac said after Wednesday's win. "He's put the work in. He has had a unique opportunity with Paolo being out. He has taken advantage of it. I'm proud of him and he's been extremely consistent. If you know him, you know that's been a part of him from the very beginning."
The team game in the paint
The final tally spoke to the Magic's effectiveness. They scored 64 points in the paint, their fourth game this season with more than 60 points in the paint. The Magic added 21 free throws (a bit below their average) and 18 second-chance points off 16 offensive rebounds.
The offense was buoyed by the team's ability to get to the basket. Even on nights when the shots do not fall, the Magic must find a way to keep attacking. Those paint touches are how they will get open shots and keep the offense humming.
Winning the paint is important and one of several factors that leads to team success. It is still an area the team can improve, dropping from eighth in the league in paint scoring to 14th.
Despite the low score in Wednesday's game, the Magic turned in a 119.1 offensive rating, the eighth-best offensive game of the season. And a lot of credit for that goes to the Magic's ability to get pressure on the rim. That is when they built their lead and gave the defense the cushion it needed to close the game out—with some nervousness as the offense went dry late in the fourth quarter.
Orlando's ability to get to the paint and to get downhill is a big piece of that equation. The pace was so slow and possessions so limited it amplified mistakes from both teams. That should only improve when Paolo Banchero returns.
But this is what makes Franz Wagner an All-Star. He is a constant force putting pressure on the rim. He is constantly doing the things the Magic know can unlock their offense.
Right now he is carrying that heavy burden well. And his secret to becoming an All-Star has been to do what he is already doing so well.