Franz Wagner has more to work on for 2024-25 than just his 3-point shooting

Franz Wagner’s shooting has been a problem that has been talked about since the buzzer of Game 7 sounded, and rightfully so. However, there are different areas that Wagner has to improve for Orlando to reach the next level. The Olympics showed the growth Wagner still needs to go through apart from his shooting. Wagner struggled against France once the defense set the focus on him and struggled to play against double teams. Wagner's passing ability will also be essential to divide the playmaking ability in Orlando's starting line-up.

Franz Wagner's season last year was interesting in terms of his growth. He improved in every statistical category except his three-point shooting. His 3-point shooting dropped from 36.1 percent to 28.1, and he shot 20 percent during the Olympics. Now, the same has been noted throughout the summer, and while a bounce-back season is essential, his bad 3-point shooting may just be an outlier.

Franz Wagner has more to work on than just his 3-point shooting

Wagner is going to have the ball in his hands and will be the focus of opposing defenses next to Paolo Banchero. His game against France showed that Wagner needs to improve his ability to play in traffic and deal with double teams. Against France, Wagner shot 4/10 from the field while he averaged 14.6 attempts shot attempts per game, was taken out of the game by France, and was made nearly a non-factor throughout the game.

Franz Wagner also needs to continue to improve as a playmaker. In his first three seasons, his assists per game have continued to improve and have to keep improving as Orlando will not have a traditional point guard in the starting unit. There are questions about what Jalen Suggs at point guard will look like, but there is no question that the Magic need to put Banchero in positions to score. Wagner will be part of holding that responsibility to add variety to the offense.

Whether it is getting to his spots or creating for his teammates, two areas Wagner needs to improve in have to be his passing and playing through traffic. Wagner needs to remain a threat regardless of whether his 3-point shooting is falling or not. He is a strong finisher at the rim and a scorer in the mid-range. Now, he has to figure out how to continue to get to his spots once defenses put more of a focus on him, and improving his play-making ability will open the floor for him.

Yes, Wagner needs to have a bounce back from his 3-point shooting slump. His two-point percentage (57 percent) and free-throw percentage (85 percent) are indications that last season may have been a down year. However, being able to play through double teams and growing as a passer and playmaker will unlock new ways for the Magic to score and open the gates to the upper tier of the Eastern Conference.