In the first quarter of Germany's Olympic semifinal game against France, Franz Wagner looked every bit a star.
On one of the first possessions of the game, he got a switch onto Victor Wembanyama, sized him up and then patiently drove right at the big man, hitting a floater over Wembanyama with ease. He scored seven quick points, including a deep 3-pointer off a catch-and-shoot.
Early on, it looked like Germany would repeat its group play rout of the host nation with an early 10-point lead. The ball was moving and flowing, with Franz Wagner even drawing enough attention on yet another drive against Victor Wembanyama before dishing to Nick Weiler-Babb for an open three.
This is what stars are supposed to do. They are supposed to take up attention and free up space for their teammates. They are supposed to be the ones to force action and make the defense react.
This could have been Wagner's crowning achievement.
Instead, France shifted its defense. It dared someone else to beat them and they bottled Wagner up. His instinct is to make the right play and move the ball when the door is closed for him. He made plenty of passes as France converged its defense.
But Wagner went oddly silent. After seven points in the first quarter, Wagner did not score again until hitting a big three late in the game to draw Germany within two points. But that was it.
And that was not enough. France had done the job, stymying Germany's offensive attack and quieting Wagner most of all.
Wagner had one last chance at a big play, skying for his eighth rebound over Victor Wembanyama, but he lost his footing coming down and trying to turn upcourt with his team down two. The ball trickled out of bounds and France survived for a 73-69 victory.
Franz Wagner disappointed in another elimination game
Rightly or wrongly, this was another disappointing game for Franz Wagner in a critical elimination game. All the attention is on what Wagner did not do as much as what he did. That is the price of stardom and the max contract moniker Wagner has earned.
He finished with just 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting, making two of his six 3-point attempts. The confidence and bravado that led Wagner to a dominant showing in group play was not there.
Instead, Wagner dealt with the pressure that comes with being a star player, often getting blitzed or seeing two players trail him off pick and rolls with another player standing at the free throw line.
Wagner did not get his usual diet of shots going to the basket or drives right to the rim. He was turned away and thus became passive, moving the ball to open players or trying to find gaps in the defense. Germany shifted to relying almost wholly on Dennis Schröder to attack the paint and force action against France's size. He went just 6 for 18 for the game, struggling in his role with the team.
Those were opportunities France either covered and recovered to well or Germany just fumbled. Germany had 15 turnovers in the game (Wagner had only one).
That is still of little solace. Wagner is a star player. And for this Germany team, his ability to get to the paint and create tension is vital to its success.
It all put Germany on edge as France tied the game at halftime and expanded their lead into the fourth quarter. They lost the championship composure that has been such a big part of their success in this tournament.
But all eyes are undoubtedly on Wagner. And in another elimination game, Wagner did not have the kind of scoreline that befits a max player and the pressures that come with it. He did not look like a star.
He looked passive and not looking for his shot. That only made his misses feel greater because opportunities seemed so limited.
Franz Wagner still has to expand his game to be a star
Franz Wagner still took the second most field goal attempts in the game. But when Germany needed a calming presence or to ensure they got a bucket, he was not there. There was little Germany could do that was easy.
France consistently turned Wagner away. That he did not score in the middle two quarters speaks to how poorly Germany did to get him the ball in spots where he could get easy shots (and also to France's defense).
Wagner only very rarely got a big dropping and on his heels as he looked to get downhill. That is the Wagner shot. That is the shot he kept working to get even in his 1-for-15 showing in Game 7. At least Wagner was still aggressive and looking for his shot in that defeat.
The Magic in Game 7 went down swinging with their best players taking shots even to their detriment.
Wagner may not be able to say that wholly in Germany's semifinal loss. He was not seeking his shot or forcing action.
That is still his biggest weakness. It is something that has dogged him throughout his career—a perception that he is not involved enough even if he is taking the most or second-most shots on the team.
And that does not get into the continued concerns about his 3-point shooting.
By now everyone should realize Wagner is not someone who is going to hunt for shots or force his shooting. He is going to look to make the right pass and right play. If the defense is blocking his way, he will move it to the next man (and he has gotten much better at that).
Wagner is still developing a way to diversify his offensive game beyond his driving—he was able to drop Wembanyama on one crossover dribble as Wembanyama slid into a teammate and tripped on his foot but Wagner missed the jumper. That will be a big part of his growth and development. He has to add a mid-range jumper to keep defenses off balance and open that path to the basket more.
But Wagner has to keep shooting. In that area, he got it right in Game 7. He never stopped attacking and stopped looking for his shots in that critical moment, even if they did not go in.
It is not that Wagner did not stop being aggressive. He made the right passes and plays to try to set teammates up in Thursday's loss. But his team needs him to shoot and score. They need him to be a star. And scoring comes with that.
France had a great gameplan to block Wagner's path. Defeats are inspiration and drive winning players to improve. Wagner still clearly has a lot to improve and clearly still has to find his shot even when defenses are trained to stop him.
His teams—whether it be the national team or the Magic—need him to keep shooting.