Franz-Paolo pick-and-roll is one big play from last Magic game

Orlando's offense is showing flashes.

The Magic have run different variations of their best players screening and rolling or slipping and popping for each other; we've seen the Wagner-Carter Connection, the Bane-Banchero pick-and-roll, and the Banchero-Bane pick-and-pop.

While these individual actions haven't yet amassed into one cohesive offensive scheme on a night-to-night basis, they reveal the Magic's offensive pillars going forward: quick decisions from primary playmakers driving, kicking, picking, rolling, cutting, and spacing for each other, with a high volume of repeat handoffs and pick-and-roll actions.

Orlando is still experimenting with other off-ball plays to see if anything sticks, but when the going gets tough, the team has a reliable option in the stars screening, rolling, and popping for one another.

Franz Wagner - Paolo Banchero Pick-and-Roll to Desmond Bane C&S Triple is ONE BIG PLAY from ORL vs. BOS

The Magic offense running a Franz Wagner & Paolo Banchero Pick-and-Roll with Desmond Bane (and Jalen Suggs) spotting up for three may be Orlando's most lethal offensive attack.

With Wagner initiating, Banchero rolling, and Bane spacing, let alone Suggs also spacing and Carter lurking baseline, everyone's in their ideal role as scorers, shooters, playmakers, and play-finishers.

When Orlando broke out the Wagner-Banchero P&R out against Boston, Paolo immediately read the help defender and kicked out to an open Bane for a clean look at a catch-and-shoot three, unlocking all three stars in a play involving their biggest strengths, which should happen as often as possible.

Is this Orlando's most lethal offensive attack?

With Wagner initiating, Banchero rolling, Bane/Suggs spacing, Carter lurking baseline, everyone is in an ideal role as scorers, shooters, finishers, playmakers

The Franz - Paolo P&R to Bane C&S Triple is ONE BIG PLAY from ORL-BOS pic.twitter.com/0CUP3A2ifL
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) November 8, 2025

Years of evidence show Franz Wagner with a screen is bound to score and create good results in the halfcourt, especially when that pick-and-roll partner is Wendell Carter Jr.; the duo have natural rescreening forever-handoff chemistry in the two-man game.

Having Banchero be the screening roller and Carter waiting in the dunker spot baseline or spotting up from deep in a corner adds a whole new dimension to Franz Wagner initiating pick-and-rolls.

Wagner is averaging 0.8 PPP as a pick-and-roll ball-handler in 44 possessions this year, but when you include passes, that number ticks up to .9 PPP on 65 possessions.

Last year, Wagner was scoring 0.93 PPP on 428 possessions as P&R Ball-Handler and 1.0 PPP in 742 P&R Ball-Handler possessions including passes, rating very highly on high volume, a good indicator that will trend back up.

Wagner's long-arm finger rolls with soft touch high off the glass leads to impressive numbers finishing at and around the rim, helpful in the downhill P&R/DHO actions.

Last year, Franz Wagner shot 1.0 PPS on 208 runners (FLOATA), 0.9 PPS on 38 hooks, 1.2 PPS on 518 shots at the rim, and 1.9 PPS on 44 Dunks.

This year, Wagner's splashing 1.3 PPS on 17 runners and 1.1 PPS on 77 shots at the rim.

Franz Wagner's fundamental footwork and finesse finishing make him a euro-stepping downhill force.

This season, Banchero is being utilized more efficiently than ever, posting the highest TS% of his career (56%) mainly due to a shot diet loaded with a higher dose of healthy protein-heavy rim touches and eating his free throw vegetables while keeping the empty calorie deep tough pull-up shots to a minimum.

Banchero accepting an off-ball role more often creates advantages and easier looks for himself and others.

I asked Jamahl Mosley how the Magic are utilizing Paolo Banchero’s shot selection more efficiently than ever. Mosley answered,“The combinations that work with him as a screener… as a ball-handler... We want to be able to make it easier on him to create for himself but as well for others.”

I asked Jamahl Mosley how the Magic are utilizing Paolo Banchero’s shot selection more efficiently than ever:

“The combinations that work with him as a screener… as a ball-handler…

we want to be able to make it easier on him to create for himself but as well for others.” pic.twitter.com/k7pWOohVzx
— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) November 7, 2025

Unleashing a play where Wagner and Banchero may be in their best role, with Franz going downhill on the ball threatening the stepback three and tough shotmaking in the paint and Banchero short-rolling into his middy pull-up or rolling hard for dunks, as either big wing kicks out to open shooters or draws fouls from drawing extra defenders along the way, is already a defense-bending dual-threat force.

Add in Bane, Suggs, Carter, da Silva, and Black arguably being best utilized as floor-spacing off-ball moving closeout-attacking connective playmaking strong play-finishing 3pt threats?

That's quite an equation for the defense to solve.