Franz Wagner makes statement against France to silence doubters at home

Franz Wagner has been an ocean away from the conversations roiling the talking heads and anybody who pays attention to the Orlando Magic during the offseason.

There have been talking heads wondering if the young, up-and-coming Magic made a mistake putting a max contract down for Wagner after the season—and particularly after the season he had shooting from three and the 1-for-15 showing he had in Game 7.

There are plenty of people who are all about Wagner and what he means for this Magic team but questioned whether Wagner is worth the max contract and attention he receives because of it. They wonder if the Magic handcuffed themselves before their competitive window really opened.

The whole ordeal and the Magic's massive investment in their young forward had everyone watching every move during his run at the Olympics and dissecting every 3-point shot with a fine-tooth comb. This is the pressure that comes with the max salary Wagner is set to make beginning with the 2026 season.

Call the first two games against Japan and Brazil an appetizer. What really makes a max player is their ability to step up against the best players and in the biggest moments. That is probably the bad taste that lingered with everyone after Game 7. That is why Wagner said in its immediate aftermath that it would fuel him through the offseason.

That spark is already lit. And the rest of the world is feeling it. In two crushing blows, France felt the fury that is Wagner's revenge tour. For at least one afternoon, Wagner made a clear statement of what he is and can be on one of the world's biggest stages.

Wagner will need the upcoming season to put that narrative completely to rest. But Wagner is showing bit by bit, he is a big-time player.

That is what 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting, making two of his five 3-pointers, will do. But two highlight-making plays changed the complete tenor of the conversation and were emphatic statements of who Wagner is.

Two dunks from Franz Wagner sent the basketball world buzzing

The first came in the first quarter when he navigated through traffic in transition and only had Victor Wembanyama between him and the basket. He rose in the air, switching the ball from his right hand to his left hand in mid-flight before dunking it on the San Antonio Spurs' star center.

That it seemed like it was Franz Wagner understanding better how to attack a shot blocker after his attempt to go quickly with his right hand against Evan Mobley at the end of Game 5 was skillfully swatted hinted most clearly at what he learned from his shortcomings last season.

Somehow dunking over Wembanyama was not the highlight of the game.

In the third quarter, Franz Wagner was defended by Nicolas Batum, one of the best defenders in international basketball. He quickly got by him and stormed the paint against a collapsing defense before finishing over at least three defenders with a one-handed jam.

The whole world was buzzing and watching.

The stills do it more justice:

This is a singular moment of course. It would mean nothing if Germany did not come out with the win. it would mean nothing if Wagner did not do it in a complete effort. It would mean nothing if the magnitude of the game did not call for a key player to step up in this way.

The spotlight was on Wagner to secure a major win and he stepped up and more.

Wagner scored 26 points through three quarters and was aggressive from the start. He was unafraid of challenging shot blockers like Rudy Gobert and Victor Wembanyama whenever he attacked the paint. And Wagner is certainly never afraid to attack the paint.

This is what those who have watched Wagner for a long time know he is capable of doing. He is a player who puts constant pressure on defenses and has grown to better understand how to manipulate his defender and control the tempo when he has the ball.

Germany has a two-headed snake with him and Dennis Schröder (who also had 26 points) that teams have struggled to contain.

Franz Wagner is gaining "redemption" and making a statement at the Olympics

Franz Wagner though is the one with the pressures of being a max player not only for his national team but for his club team too. And all eyes are always on him.

And in this spotlight he has clearly improved.

Wagner tends not to do too much with anything. He does not do fancy dribble moves or step-backs. That is what makes his exclamation point plays stand out so much. They rise out of nowhere it seems and he attacks them logically. The defense almost does not expect him to do the amazing.

Everyone is always trying to challenge him and Wagner continues to swat those concerns to the side—he had two blocks in this game too, by the way. Wagner is building a stronger defensive resume.

Whether Wagner is still thinking about that Game 7 failure or not or whether fans want to criticize him for spending important time in the summer playing for his national team, Wagner has made the most of his time. He has very clearly improved with his patience and timing on his drives as well as his physicality on defense.

It is not like Wagner is having inconsistent scoring efforts. He had 22 points in the opener against Japan and 17 against Brazil. He is gaining a lot from playing in these pressure games and as part of a Germany team that is expected to medal after their World Cup victory last summer.

Of course, that max contract brings criticism and attention. And everyone is focusing on his shooting. He went 2 for 14 in his first two games in the Olympics. It had everyone wringing their hands after he shot 28.1 percent from deep last year.

It is impossible not to have some focus on it even after a game where he made two of five 3-pointers (making two in his first three attempts).

Those questions will not go away until he is on an NBA floor making threes consistently again. But what has also become clear is Wagner can make an emphatic statement. He is not his worst moment or the worst aspects of the season.

The spotlight is on him. Even with another budding young star in Paolo Banchero, the spotlight has always been on Franz Wagner.

At least through the group stage of the Olympics—Germany will be one of the top two seeds and likely play Greece in Tuesday's quarterfinal, setting up another marquee matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo—Wagner has taken that pressure and turned it into fire.

Friday's game was a statement on a big stage for Wagner. It was a statement of intent that he can silence the doubters back home in Orlando. At the very least, in a blowout win, he silenced the home nation and put Germany in a great position to earn an Olympic medal.