Franz Wagner has spent much of the last week basking in the glow of Germany's EuroBasket win.
There was a celebration in Berlin and plenty more throughout the week. It was a big moment for Germany and for Wagner, marking his second gold medal.
Soon, though, Wagner will return to Orlando to prepare for training camp. Media day is one week from Monday, and training camp opens Tuesday. That is not a lot of time to reset and relax before the season begins.
But it also means Wagner is carrying over what he played like in Latvia to the NBA pretty quickly. He has done that before in previous FIBA tournaments.
Magic fans who watched EuroBasket saw plenty to get excited about. But national observers too saw some real growth from Wagner in the tournament. It was a breakout moment for him.
"The guy for the German that was absolutely phenomenal throughout the whole course of the tournament was Franz Wagner," Mo Dakhil said on The Kevin O'Connor Show. "He was amazing the way he played. Didn't shoot the three-ball all that well. But the way he attacked the rim was relentless. He was so quick in transition. It was not just that, it was the attitude and confidence that he had. If I am a Magic fan, I'm going nuts. I can't wait to get this guy back in our blue and white and ready to roll."
It was indeed a strong tournament for Wagner. He was named to the All-Star Five after averaging 20.8 points per game for the tournament and scoring 18 points in the final against Turkiye.
Wagner's shot profile looked the same. He was dominant in transition and getting downhill. He led Germany in scoring for the second straight international tournament -- teammate Dennis Schroder hit the decisive baskets and won the tournament MVP award.
Shooting remains a concern for Wagner after he shot 11 for 38 (28.9 percent) in the tournament. But he shot 7 for 17 in group play, proving he could at least be a bit streaky and have some upswings.
Wagner had a great EuroBasket. Everyone is eager to see how it translates to the NBA.
Wagner is ready to break out
Everyone still buzzes about Franz Wagner's run in the immediate aftermath of Paolo Banchero's injury. It seemed like that moment pushed Wagner to the forefront and helped him realize his full potential as a creator and star.
Wagner finished last season averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game. During the 20 games he played between Banchero's injury and his own oblique tear, Wagner averaged 26.1 points per game while maintaining decent efficiency despite his increased volume, shooting 45.7 percent from the floor.
Wagner tailed off some when he came back from injury, but he still posted 24.0 points per game and 46.1 percent shooting to end the season. He topped it with a stellar Playoff showing with 25.8 points per game against the Boston Celtics. That included a 32-point effort and back-to-back baskets in the final two minutes in the Magic's Game 3 win.
To say the least, Wagner has major expectations for the upcoming season. With the Magic adding Desmond Bane to the lineup, Franz Wagner is expected to be an NBA All-Star for the first time.
His run at EuroBasket served as a preview of what to expect with Germany full of shooters and giving Wagner a lot of on-ball and lead-ballhandler reps. He succeeded at it as Germany went undefeated through the tournament.
Wagner is a winning player
Franz Wagner has plenty to work on and improve on as the season begins.
After two straight season shooting worse than 30 percent from three, everyone wanted to see Wagner take a leap with his 3-point shooting. There were positive signs, including that good stretch in the tournament's group phase.
But even without the 3-point shot, Wagner is still an immensely impactful player. He is still a player that everyone wants on their team because of how he fits into a team as a cutter and has grown as a primary playmaker.
On top of that, he is a versatile and strong defender, often not getting credit for how good of a defender he is on one of the best defensive teams in the league.
Franz Wagner took some turns at center for Germany during the tournament, getting a few possessions on Alperen Sengun in the final. The Magic will be working to make the most of all of Wagner's versatility.
Beyond that, the stats still show how critical Wagner is to the team.
Orlando had a +6.0 net rating with Wagner on the floor last year. That includes a team-best 111.8 offensive rating when he was on the floor. Wagner does a lot of quiet things that help make the team better.
There are simply a lot of reasons to be excited. And it seems like he is due for a big season with the Magic trying to jump into contender status in the NBA.
The rest of the league is seeing how scary Wagner can be this season.