Just a few hours before the Orlando Magic vs. Los Angeles Lakers game, Bill Simmons released a video about six things he thinks are happening in the NBA right now. And then, for a bit extra, he talked about Franz Wagner’s play of late, and how he thinks the Lakers have no chance of stopping him.
The Magic have managed to stay at the top of the Eastern Conference despite Paolo Banchero‘s injury. A huge reason is Wagner’s recent stretch.
Bill Simmons’ Prediction For Wagner Against Lakers Proves True
Obviously, Simmons didn’t predict that Wagner would hit a dagger three against the Lakers in the last seconds of the game. But he predicted that he would have a great game and that the Lakers would have nobody to stop him.
Simmons praised Wagner for a few minutes before talking about the Lakers game. He said,
“We’re taping this before the Lakers game, but the pod’s going up before the Lakers game. The thing with the Lakers is they don’t really have anyone on their roster to guard like good-scoring wings. They’ve had this stretch where they’ve won some games but part of the reason is they can play this lineup with Knecht, DLo, Reaves, and LeBron all together because they don’t have to worry about guarding anyone. I want to see if Franz can light up the Lakers tonight.”
And boy did Wagner light them up. He scored 37 points on 13-26 shooting, grabbed six rebounds, and dished 11 assists. To top it all, he scored a three-pointer with seconds remaining to win the game. Of course, all that could have been avoided had Anthony Davis hit the free throws.
JJ Redick Thinks the Lakers Messed It Up
Following the loss, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked about his thoughts on the team’s execution down the stretch. The Lakers have won a couple of close games lately, but they let this one slip away. Redick said,
“I’d have to go rewatch every possession there in the last couple of minutes. Overall, I felt comfortable with our execution up until the missed free throws and the Wagner three. I would say don’t quote me on that, but that’s just the general thought right now.”
Speaking specifically about Wagner’s game-winner vs. the Lakers, JJ said,
“Didn’t love just the thought process and the mindset when Wagner hit the three. Because you know, we talk all the time about just our isos like we have. We don’t want to allow threes in isos. Obviously, late game especially.”
Wagner Rising to the Occasion
With Banchero out, Wagner has had to fill in the role of being the star player on the Magic. And while he struggled for a game or two, in the last five games, Wagner rose and grabbed the opportunity. In the last six games, he scored 29+ points five times, and four times went over 30.
This summer, he signed a five-year, $224 million rookie scale contract extension with the Magic, and he is playing up to the standards. You can say Germany Wagner has returned, and he doesn’t need Dennis Schroder to be effective.
