The Orlando Magic blew an 18-point lead in Game 7 of their first-round battle against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading to their exit from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Magic star Paolo Banchero has defended teammate Franz Wagner from criticism after the scoring forward struggled throughout the series.
“We’re not here without Franz. He holds himself to a high standard & he expects a lot out of himself as a player. I’ve been in that position as well, where you feel like you could’ve done a lot more in a losing effort but this doesn’t define him. It doesn't define us.
Banchero said he expects Wagner to use this series as motivation and come back better next season.
"He's gonna have a great summer, will get better, and knowing him, he's going to use this to motivate him and take it to another level. I don't think he let anyone down, sometimes it happens. This is our first time in the playoffs man. I am proud of how he played, how we played, and I know we will be back.”
Wagner averaged 18.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.4 assists on 40.8% shooting from the field and 26.5% from three. His scoring fell off compared to the regular season in terms of overall production and efficiency, though he made a concentrated effort to focus on rebounding and being a secondary playmaker throughout the series.
Wagner is Banchero's co-star but couldn't match up to the production of the former No. 1 overall pick. He averaged 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists in the playoffs, firmly establishing his name among the league's rising superstars. He led the Magic to the Playoffs, made an All-Star team, and increased his production in the postseason.
This Magic team is extremely young and loaded with assets, so this isn't the last time we'll see the Banchero-Wagner duo try to make noise in the postseason. Wagner just completed his third NBA season, proving there's a lot more room to grow for the German forward.
Paolo Banchero Opens Up On Donovan Mitchell
Banchero went up against Donovan Mitchell's Cavaliers in the first round, with Mitchell firmly establishing himself as the best player in the series. While Banchero was excellent, he needs more development before he can compete against the likes of former All-NBA players like Mitchell.
Banchero and Mitchell shared a moment on the court after the Cavaliers won Game 7, an interaction that Banchero reflected on after the game.
"We had a moment when the clock was running down and he had the ball. He told me he had a lot of respect for me, and we shared words. It's funny because he was the first guy I went to before I got into the league. We were in a pickup game together, we went at it in that pickup game. That was our first time meeting and playing against each other, so it's funny my first playoff series was against him."
Mitchell left a major imprint on this series, averaging 28.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. His first five games weren't eye-catching, but Mitchell scored 89 points over Games 6 and 7 to ensure the Cavaliers win this series.
Banchero has an extremely bright future, with the Magic having a defined franchise cornerstone they can build the team around.
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