Franz Wagner did his best John Starks impression during Sunday’s Game 7.
The Orlando Magic forward Wagner was a disaster of biblical proportions during his team’s season-ending loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. In the win-or-go-home affair, Wagner shot a calamitous 1-for-15 from the field. He missed all five of his three-point shots and finished as a -13 in his 35 minutes as the Magic lost 106-94.
The disappearing act could not have come at a worse time for Wagner, who was thoroughly barbecued on social media for his awful performance. Here is a sample of some of the posts roasting Wagner.
franz wagner said game 7 no thank you
— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) May 5, 2024
Franz Wagner say hello to your new place of employment: pic.twitter.com/ymCKafkG3f
— Jovan (@jovan_deeb) May 5, 2024
Franz Wagner been playing like Jackie Moon all game
— Zach Harper (@talkhoops) May 5, 2024
franz wagner i have stood up and given you a round of applause. this is one of the worst performances i’ve ever seen
— Q (@wockhardtflame) May 5, 2024
“Franz Wagner from downtown!!” pic.twitter.com/2UemmHEWk1
— HCF🥀 (@hcf_m2h) May 5, 2024
According to StatMuse, Wagner’s 1-for-15 nightmare was actually the worst field-goal percentage in a Game 7 in NBA history (off a minimum of 15 shot attempts). What stung even more was that the Magic had raced out to an 18-point lead in the first half on the strength of a Herculean carry job by Paolo Banchero (who finished with 38 points and 16 rebounds). But they still blew it in the end. Had Orlando gotten even a mediocre game from Wagner, they would likely be in the next round right now.
The 22-year-old Wagner still deserves credit for a strong overall season. He averaged a career-high 19.7 points per game in the regular season and was a monster in Game 4 of the series against Cleveland, going for 34 points and 13 rebounds. But perhaps the lights were just too bright for Wagner as that had to be the worst Game 7 performance in the NBA since this one from a couple years ago.
