19 year old 6’8, 215 pound forward out of Michigan.
Averaged 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists on 47.7% fg, 34.3% 3, 83.5% ft.
Strengths
Franz Wagner has what every team wants in the modern NBA, size, athleticism, and versatility. While I have questions about his upside, I think at the very least he will be solid due to how well rounded he is. On defense he immediately impressed me, as he uses his great size and lateral quickness to be a very good one on one defender. This size and quickness on his feet gives him the versatility to guard multiple positions which is one the most valuable traits in the NBA. He can seamlessly switch on screens or rotate over to a different man with no problems. Going more into that ability to guard in screens he is so great at navigating around screens and with bigger players running pick n rolls more that is a very valuable part of his skillset. Consistently he can clamp up multiple positions, either wasting time on the shot clock or forcing his opponent into very tough shots. The length that he has with around a 6’11 wingspan allows him to make impactful closeouts every possession, shown in his opponents shooting 34% from the field while guarded by him which is just fantastic. Loved his transition defense as well where he was constantly hustling back to make plays. He also has very active hands on defense where he was constantly coming in while one pass away or swiping when his opponent was driving to make plays. He also showed off his quick hands in the passing lanes where he would jump passes often and then get easy transition buckets, continuing to be just an absolute pest. Weak side defense was another strength for him as he continued to show off a great ability to make smart rotations and then make good contests, either forcing offensive players into tough shots or tough passes. On offense he is a jack of all trades. In transition he ran the floor very well as he used his long strides to beat the pack and then some good footwork to get easy finishes. I love what he can bring to an offense as a big playmaker. His play out of the pick-n-roll was highly impressive as he was always composed and showed great touch on high level passes. Some great examples of him making crisp bounce passes to cutters and roll men. He always is keeping the ball moving and making the extra pass to go from a good shot to a great shot. His finishing is yet another solid area where he used long strides to get by defenders and excellent touch to finish. He was great at generating easy looks for himself at the basket by cutting at the perfect time and either continuing to show off impressive touch or his leaping to finish with powerful slams. While outside shooting was an inconsistent area for him it is something that had plenty of good stretches. With his solid form and very good free throw percentage I am confident that with more reps he can become a very solid shooter, adding even more to his offensive repertoire.
Weaknesses
My biggest issue is that I just do not see much long term potential for him, he will get better for sure but I just can’t see “star” when I look at Wagner. While his finishing going right was a strong suit of his going left was a whole different story. He frequently shied away from contact, as he would go for tough fadeaways or hook shots instead of just attacking with confidence. Adding more strength to his frame would be very helpful to all aspects of his game but finishing in specific. His handle is solid but the lack of burst he has causes him to struggle to create separation on top tier athletes. He also is not the most creative ball handler as he does not have many advanced moves to go to, if he had some more fluidity as a ball handler it should help overcome some of his issues as an athlete. Confidence is a big issue when it comes to him as a shot creator as well, he always is either passing up open shots or hesitating before he takes a shot, just not a very comfortable area for him yet. To get his shooting to a point where it is consistent I think the main thing he should focus on is improving his footwork, his footwork is a bit all over the place which leads to his inconsistencies. If he can get that base consistent and make sure he has good arc on his shots then I think he can be around a 38% shooter from outside which is more than passable. There are some smaller issues such as fouling and some occasional turnover problems but it mainly just comes down to him being very solid, but just not great.
What I Rate Him As A Prospect
Top 15-25
Where He Fits Best
Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizzlies are such a solid team as a whole but I do think wing depth is something that could be improved on so getting a solid all-around wing right outside of the lottery that fits an immediate need for them would be a near perfect fit.
OKC Thunder: The Thunder have some solid young wings but getting another one would be smart. With them having 2 picks right outside of the lottery I think it would be a smart decision to take a more safe player like Franz and then take a swing with the other pick.
Comparison
Deni Avdija
Andre Kirilenko
Hedo Turkoglu
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