What Stats & the Eye Test Reveal: Franz Wagner, Not Paolo Banchero, Is the Magic's True Franchise Player

Here's why — and what Paolo can do to live up to the hype

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner (Rich Storry/Getty Images)

Here is a pair of recent things that seem reasonable at first glance:

1. Bill Simmons ranked Paolo Banchero at No. 8 in the NBA in his Trade Value Rankings.

2. NBA executives sounded off in dismay when the Orlando Magic gave Franz Wagner a max contract of five years, $224 million. Those GMs “complained to ESPN that the Magic had inflated the market,” reported Brian Windhorst.

But I’m here to tell you, when you watch the two players through the lens of winning and losing, these evaluations fly in the face of everything that’s good and evil.

Let's look at the evidence, across both stats and game tape:

Banchero's numbers seem really good … until you take a closer look