The Orlando Magic have a lot to get to during training camp.
Sean Sweeney is installing his offensive and defensive principles and foundations. He is establishing what this team needs to be about.
While there are certainly significant changes, there is still a lot that will be familiar.
The Magic will still focus heavily on their defense. Their offense will revolve around leveraging their two 6-foot-10, ball-handling forwards. Spacing has been the magic word in the early days of training camp. Orlando is playing with a lot more purpose. But the goals are still the same.
Much is indeed the same. But the big difference for the Magic this year will likely be Franz Wagner's return.
Orlando did not need to look much further than the Playoffs to see the kind of difference Wagner makes. Having him for only 34 games last year was the story of last season. And Wagner was a big reason the team took a 3-1 series lead and looked like an East contender before his high ankle sprain.
His season last year was essentially lost to the injury. And even in teh Playoffs, the Magic got a Wagner running at half speed.
As the Magic prepare for this season, it is clear that Wagner has a huge part to play.
That is obvious, considering he is one of the team's max-contract players and one of its leading scorers. But his impact truly goes beyond that.
Wagner is the Magic's ideal for the versatile wing, able to defend every position and work as both a primary creator and a slasher.
There is a reason there are so many debates about who is better between Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as the Magic approach this critical season. The answer to that debate is less interesting. The Magic need both and they have shown, in their small samples, that they can function at a high level together.
But the exciting part for the Magic is not only seeing this team in a new context with Sean Sweeney, a prospect who has everyone within the organization excited and is getting solid reviews through the early parts of training camp. It is also getting Wagner's fingerprints all over the game and seeing his impact everywhere.
Wagner is one of the big boosts to this team on both sides when he is healthy.
The Magic did not make any major moves this offseason. The biggest move they made was getting Wagner back.
The Franz Difference
The debates about the Orlando Magic and their two stars will continue to rage. While it is probably not worth it to engage too deeply, it is clear that Franz Wagner makes a difference.
The Magic had a +3.6 net rating with Wagner on the floor, including a 114.2 offensive rating, a mark that only trailed Jamal Cain among rotation players.
Last year, the Magic had a +1.8 net rating with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on the floor together, +4.2 with just Wagner on the floor and -0.2 without, according to DataBallr. It was +2.0 points per 100 possessions with Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane together, +6.1 with just Wagner on the floor and +0.9 with just Bane on the floor.
Jalen Suggs is generally recognized as a plus/minus supercharger. The team had a +9.2 net rating with Suggs and Wagner on the floor together. The Magic had a -4.0 net rating with Wagner and no Suggs and +4.0 net rating with Suggs and no Wagner.
Wagner makes a difference for many of the lineups he is in. It is clear that he is a connector for this team. He makes a lot of things simply work.
This is because of his versatility.
He can fit in as a primary scorer and run pick-and-rolls -- 1.02 points per possession as the ball handler, according to Synergy, the second-best mark on the team (behind only Cain). He can fit in as a slasher -- 1.13 points per possession on cuts this year, down from 1.41 in 2025.
But the real strength of Wagner's versatility, and why he holds the roster together, is his defensive versatility. He is an elite defender.
Wagner on defense
Both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner share a lot of promise because of what they do beyond their scoring.
Banchero has improved dramatically as a rebounder and is a strong playmaker for his size. The world just wants his scoring to become more efficient.
Wagner's three-point shot has come along after his two-year dip. He is growing as a primary attacker. But most people do not realize that Wagner is one of the best defenders in the league. It is Franz Wagner, not Jalen Suggs, who often gets the call on the top perimeter player.
That was certainly the case in the Playoffs. And the fact that so many ignore his defense is a sign that Wagner and his value are still flying so far under the radar.
Wagner is considered one of the best young players in the league. But it is clear he still gets underrated or overlooked in clear spaces.
"I just think Franz is maybe the single most underrated star in the NBA, understandably because of the injuries and understandably because Paolo has been the focal point in their playoff series," Locked On NBA host Gavin Schall said. "The defensive ceiling gets overshadowed by having Jalen Suggs on the team. Before he got hurt, he had Cade Cunningham in jail in the Playoffs. I think fully healthy, there is an absolute two-way monster, 6-foot-10 wing. To me, I think he is clearly Orlando's best player."
In the Orlando Magic's playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, Cade Cunningham scored only 16 points on 6-for-16 shooting. He had six assists against eight turnovers.
That helped bring the Pistons down to Earth.
Wagner's size was a huge factor in the series and in containing the Pistons. It is a huge advantage for the team to have someone that big who can keep guards in front of them. Wagner can smother players.
Injuries slowed Wagner down a ton last year. It was the story of his season.
But what makes Wagner so exciting for this season is this return. Wagner can connect a lot of lineups and be an even bigger connector on defense.
Everyone is still waiting to see exactly how Sean Sweeney is changing the team's personality on the court.
They will still be a physical defensive team. That feeds right into Wagner's wheelhouse. They have said they have incorporated more movement in the offense. That serves Wagner too.
It is clear Wagner is a key piece for the team. And his fingerprints will be all over this team and their potential for success.
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