5 Orlando Magic players with the most to gain from the 2024 NBA Playoffs

The Orlando Magic are at the tail end of their best season since the Dwight Howard era. While they have made some strides in terms of earning national respect, there is still much to build on and work for. They will have a lot of questions to answer this postseason.

The Orlando Magic are preparing to burst onto the postseason stage and they have a lot to prove in their first trip. / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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Underated no more: Franz Wagner

Much Like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner can become a household name among NBA fans this postseason. He just needs the bright lights of a national stage to make his talent and skillset universally respected.

Exceling at all levels in his young pro career, Wagner has quickly impressed regardless of NBA or international competition.

The Berlin native was on the 2022 NBA All-Rookie Team First team, was selected to the NBA Rising Stars team in 2022 and 2023, and won the 2023 FIBA World Cup for Germany where he and his brother Moe Wagner beat a stacked USA team on their run to winning the championship.

Despite all the accolades and success, Wagner still feels underrated.

He is never mentioned among the league’s best young players or international talents despite only being 22 and averaging nearly 20 points per game for one of the Eastern Conference's best teams this season.

For better or for worse the NBA is often a narrative-driven league and Wagner and the rest of the Magic roster have lacked the opportunity to show what they can do in front of the entire country.

If Wagner and the Magic can make some waves in April and even into May, the narrative could quickly change for another Magic player who has performed at a level higher than the praise he receives.