The real challenge for Franz Wagner, Germany is about to begin

At times, Franz Wagner can be a little too quiet. He can fade into the background and seem uninvolved in the game. That is not how a star acts, certainly not a max player.

But Wagner is always seemingly making an impact. He is always a moment from putting his fingerprints all over a game to devastating effect.

He goes on these scoring bursts. The confidence is flowing, and every time he touches the ball, he is getting to the basket and putting pressure on the defense. Wagner knows the right moment to impose himself on the game, especially when the team gets out and runs.

And then sometimes he puts an exclamation point on the game.

That exclamation point came with three seconds left in the first half against Finland in Germany's final group play game against Finland.

Wagner caught an inbounds pass running toward the basket and weaved through two defenders before finishing with a layup. Whatever hope Finland had of getting back into the game went through that net.

Germany was moving on with an undefeated group play run and a 91-61 win over Finland.

Wagner continued his stellar run through the tournament, scoring 13 of his 23 points in the second quarter as Germany pulled away from Finland. He finished the five group play games averaging 21.6 points per game and shooting 55.4 percent from the floor -- 7 for 17 from three, after a 1-for-5 showing against Finland.

After an offseason full of questions about Wagner and his ability to lead and step up in key moments, he delivered in every way through the first five games, putting aside some struggles in the exhibition games. When the lights turned on, Wagner stepped up and Germany ran through the competition.

In the five group play games, Germany won by no fewer than 19 points. They have he highest point differential of any team in EuroBasket.

Of course, this is not the end goal. Germany was expected to win Group B. The Great Britains and Montenegros, the two teams not advancing out of the group, are no longer in the competition. It is single elimination the rest of the way.

Germany will start that knockout run on Saturday against Portugal. All eyes are on the potential semifinal against Serbia, the pre-tournament favorite who finished second in Group A after a loss to Turkiye.

The only thing that matters is winning a medal. And Germany has victory in its sights. They just have to follow Wagner all the way there.

Performing under pressure

Everything resets now, because what ultimately matters for Germany is taking home the gold medal. That is the standard they set when they broke through to win bronze at the 2022 EuroBasket, their first medal in any competition since a silver at the 2005 EuroBasket, and then won the World Cup in 2023.

That is where the Orlando Magic are at, too. Merely playing well is not enough. They are ultimately judged on winning.

And the road ahead is only going to get tougher. The teams will be more challenging and the margin for error much smaller. One slip-up could end those dreams and lead to disappointment.

Germany did its job in group play. Franz Wagner did his job during group play. But these are the games that everyone lives for and wants to see the best players thrive in.

Wagner has stood tall in these games so far. He delivered for Germany in every group play game.

What Wagner still has to prove is that he can play when the pressure is ramped up to its highest.

Across 10 elimination games in three FIBA tournaments, Wagner is averaging 15.9 points per game and shooting 45.8 percent. He has dealt with some injuries in those tournaments -- particularly the FIBA World Cup. And he had only 10 points in the Olympics semifinal loss to France.

That seemed a continuation from his up-and-down Playoff run in 2024, where he averaged 18.9 points per game and shot 40.8 percent in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The narrative on Wagner throughout last year was whether he could perform in these pressure situations. That Game 7 showing hung in the air throughout both the Olympics and the season as the Magic tried to push their way into the postseason.

He should have put those to bed last year.

He averaged a career-high 24.2 points per game during the regular season. And that was including a likely All-Star appearance if he had avoided his injury.

He continued to step up with his showing against the Boston Celtics last year. He averaged 25.8 points per game and shot 44.3 percent from the floor. He hit two critical baskets late in the Magic's Game 3 win. He never scored fewer than 23 points.

It was Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero carrying the team throughout the entire playoff series. Wagner has shown he can step up to the plate and perform when the pressure is on.

Gold is the only goal

For Germany then, the only goal is gold. That is the expectation for this tournament. It has always been. And that is what the team will be judged on.

The path to the gold is not quite laid out. They know they will play Portugal on Saturday. They could face any number of teams, including Spain, Italy or Greece in the quarterfinal. Serbia looms in the semifinal.

Germany always entered this tournament expecting to get a medal. Coming home short of a medal would be considered a major disappointment.

That is the expectation of a team that has won before and expects to win again. That is reality for the best players in the league. They are expected to perform.

Part of this tournament was the seeming handing of the baton of leadership from Dennis Schroder to Franz Wagner. This is his team and his program.

All the attention and pressure is on him to bring Germany to the final and win the title.

Wagner has delivered so far. But he has to keep delivering.

And then he has to bring that to the NBA and the Magic. All signs keep pointing that he will deliver.

But the biggest challenges for Wagner, Germany and the Magic are still well ahead.