Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero Have to Get it Right For Magic

Out of 82 games, the Orlando Magic had just 24 in which both Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were on the court together.

It's hard to win consistently when at least one of your stars is out, which disrupted the rhythm the Magic could have built during the regular season. The Magic still finished with 45 wins, but that number could have been higher if both stars were healthy. Wagner explained in a recent interview how difficult it can be establishing a flow when players are hurt.

"It can be a challenge. I know for individual coaches, too, sometimes that you kind of have to work on a little bit of everything," Wagner said in an interview with HoopsHype.

"That's a big part of becoming a really good player is finding your niche a little bit and the things that you want to be really good at, and because you can't work on everything all summer, it's really important to pick two or three things that will get you the biggest reward.

"And even stretches with Paolo out, they gave me a lot of confidence because I was more on the ball and was able to make a lot of decisions, and sometimes even too much so, maybe, making some mistakes. But it's important as a player to get that opportunity.

"It's important to go through those mistakes sometimes, and that's the only way you're really going to grow and get better. I've tried to embrace those moments and just do the best I can."

Paolo, Franz Need Established Roles

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero reacts with forward Franz Wagner. | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Magic only had one of their stars for nearly 75% of the team's games, which means that Orlando was unable to truly establish the roles that Banchero and Wagner had when both were on the floor.

Based on what happened in the playoffs, Banchero is the true alpha on the roster when he is healthy. The former No. 1 overall pick scored at least 17 points in all seven games against the Detroit Pistons, including 38 in Game 7 and 45 in a potential series-clinching Game 5 loss on the road.

Banchero has the tools to be one of the league's best players, and so does Wagner, but Paolo's potential has played out more than Franz.

This is a good problem for the Magic to have, considering they have a pair of players that can take over a game at a moment's notice. It's clear that having multiple players who can do that is the recipe for success in today's NBA.

The hope for the Magic is that Banchero and Wagner will share the court more often next season, which will lead to more wins and the ability to build chemistry ahead of the playoffs.

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