The Orlando Magic had some struggles in their first few games without Paolo Banchero. Over the last week or so, Orlando has gotten back on track. That turnaround has been led by Franz Wagner playing like an All-Star.
Wagner has become the Magic's go-to guy. And that transformation came with a change in mentality for Wagner.
"I think it’s a little of a mentality shift for me as well," Wagner said. "The way I grew up playing was a lot off the ball and just taking really good shots all the time. Sometimes it’s OK to take a midrange shot and stuff like that. So, that’s something that’s not ingrained necessarily, or wasn’t taught to me from a young age. So, it’s a good challenge for me."
Wagner also recognizes that the season can be a bit of a roller coaster. But the fourth-year wing owned that the Magic have to play their way out of slumps to be the team they hope to be.
"It’s a long season, and there’s going to be ups and downs," Wagner said. "The good teams find a way to get quickly out of those downs. I think in that regard we’ve made huge strides."