On defense, Wagner has more than held his own. Franz Wagner has looked like a solid piece at both ends of the floor And, he can shoot off the dribble - among the most accurate pull-up shooters among this yearвЂ™s rookie class. He also has the lowest turnover percentage on drives of the 17 rookies averaging at least 4.0 drives per game. HeвЂ™s shooting 46.0 percent on 9.3 drives per game - only Cade Cunningham and Davion Mitchell have been more efficient as rookies on at least 6.0 drives per game. HeвЂ™s been a spot-up threat (37.7 on catch-and-shoot 3s) and, at 6-foot-10, an above-average creator in the pick-and-roll. The most impressive parts of WagnerвЂ™s rookie campaign arenвЂ™t just his availability or consistency, itвЂ™s been his versatility.

HeвЂ™s been a reliable contributor at both ends of the floor, averaging 15.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.9 steals per game, on a 55.9 true shooting percentage. He has appeared in and started every single game for the Magic this season, one of just four players in the league who has appeared in every game for his team.

Wagner has been overshadowed by the rest of this rookie class but his production this year has been remarkable. While there may be a lack of consensus on those top positions, if the official ballots extended to four places you might find Franz Wagner holding that spot on every single one. The Rookie of the Year race has tightened and it seems likely that Evan Mobley, Cade Cunningham and Scottie Barnes will finish 1-2-3 in some order. Subscribe here to get it delivered to you via email each morning. Surely, he'd be a piece that coach Gregg Popovich would use interestingly in the future.The Whiteboard is The Step BackвЂ™s daily basketball newsletter, covering the NBA, WNBA and more. While he would be far from being the flashiest player on the team, particularly next to guys like Lonnie Walker and Keldon Johnson, he could be the proverbial 'glue' that holds a raw, athletic team together. Thus, Wagner fills a position of need and adds a skillset and dynamic that Spurs fans like Trevor Zickgraf find to be reminiscent of one Boris Diaw, for good reason. Guys like Franz Wagner, Kai Jones, Usman Garuba and others in that hybrid forward/center, modern NBA big role should be on their radar. As an already guard-heavy team, they shouldn't be interested in selecting another backcourt piece unless the entire NBA forgets either Jalen Green or Suggs are available. San Antonio will surely need to improve their frontcourt situation in the near future. Interchangeable at either forward spot, he could turn out to be a great chess piece for the modern NBA team. Rather, his game revolves around one thing: craftiness.ДЄs an extremely polished and gifted passer, high IQ defender, and technically sound player across the board, Wagner's playmaking ability and overall usage of his skillset is remarkable. He isn't the quickest or bounciest athlete, doesn't provide much in the way of ball-handling, let alone hesi-moves or blow-bys, and he rarely dumps the ball off to his big in the dunker spot. Interestingly enough, though, Franz will find himself making plays for his future team, despite his athletic limitations and limited dribble combinations. In an age in the NBA when three-level shot creation or otherwordly athleticism seems to reign supreme, Wagner is neither. When it comes to whether or not the San Antonio Spurs should draft him, there seems to be no general consensus on Franz Wagner.

Franz wagner