Paolo Banchero & Franz Wagner: Best Magic Duo New Shaq & Penny?

Are Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner establishing themselves as the Orlando Magic's best duo since Shaquille O’Neal had Penny Hardaway?

Apr 27, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) and forward Paolo / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Shaquille O’Neal had Penny Hardaway, and Paolo Banchero has Franz Wagner. Simply put, the Orlando Magic have a new young, dynamic duo establishing the franchise as a legitimate contender. 

While some questioned whether the inexperience of the Magic’s young star duo would prevent them from contending anytime in the near future, Banchero and Wagner have been proving doubters wrong in the first playoff series of either of their NBA careers. 

“The beauty of two stars that can play off of each other and celebrate the other star,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said of Banchero and Wagner. “That’s a beautiful thing. When you can watch that unfold real-time and watch each guy celebrate the man next to him.”

Through the first four games of their playoff debuts, both Banchero and Wagner have been dominant. Banchero has averaged 21.3 points, seven rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game, while Wagner has averaged 21.5 points, eight rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game, nearly mirroring each other's stats identically. 

Banchero has shown that despite being the team's leader, he also knows when to take a back seat and let his running mate carry the scoring load. In game four, for example, he scored just nine points, while Wagner led the team with 34.

“He’s finding ways to win, whatever that means,” Mosley said of Banchero. “Part of that is celebrating Franz getting going and enjoying that… some of the passes he made were part of baiting the defense.”

Star power combined with selflessness is a winning combination, and based on what Wagner and Banchero have shown so far in the playoffs, this team could have the winning recipe to be a contender for years to come and be the franchise’s best duo since Shaq and Penny took the team to the finals as young pups back in 1995.

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