Has Franz Wagner passed Paolo Banchero for Orlando Magic?

The Orlando Magic record over the last two years reveal an intriguing truth

Mar 17, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) celebrates with Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) in the fourth quarter against the Toronto Raptors at KIA Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images

During the big 3 Miami Heat era, although Lebron James & Dwyane Wade were the better players overall, Chris Bosh was touted as the most important player on the team.

In the case of the Orlando Magic, the team has been able to find its stride in games without Paolo Banchero. This season, thus far, the team has a record of 5-2 without Banchero while going 6-6 with Paolo in the lineup.

Magic win percentage this season:

.714 — Without Paolo
.500 — With Paolo pic.twitter.com/fKYtNj2ebU

— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 26, 2025

To add context to this number, the team did have a rough start to the season as a whole, with Desmond Bane finding his flow with the team, and the Mosley figuring out rotations with Suggs in and out of the lineup. However, the record of the Orlando Magic last season also showed that the team struggled more without Franz Wager than without Paolo Banchero

In games without Wagner last season, the team went 8-14 however without Banchero, they were able to have a positive record of 20-16. The question becomes why is the team able to survive without Banchero but when Wagner goes out it's more of an issue?

The answer could revolve in thier play styles and the way they impact the game. While Paolo has proven to be one of the most prolific scorers in the NBA, his offense often revolves around winning 1-on-1 matchups in isolation situations. While he's showed flashes of playmaking, he still has a ways to go en route to making that a consistent weapon in his arsenal.

On the other hand, Wagner has a much more team friendly plug-and-play style. His EuroBasket mindset of team ball and movement plays more into the style of this youthful Magic team. Wagner already had one of the best around-the-rim games in the league, thanks to his ability to finesse his way to the paint and finish. While his 3-point shot was an inconsistent weapon in years previous, the improvement on that front has turned him into a legitimate 3-level scorer. His passing has also been elite for this Magic team, ranking second behind Desmond Bane when it comes to the total number of assists, 88-75.

While Paolo Banchero may be the most talented player on the team, his previous playstyle might need some adjusting to fit in with the heavy ball movement game plan the team has implemented during this last stretch of wins.

It's undeniable that Paolo Banchero has a game that is more suited for playoff basketball, as his isolation style will be needed especially when those type of games slow down. His elite level shot creation is what raises the ceiling of this team, and without it, the team has a much lower chance of making a deep run. That being said, during the course of a regular season, his game will need some adjusting to fit with the Magic's winning ways.