Franz is someone I really want us to pick. Celtics2021 knows more about Franz than me, but he's a legit two-way player. Way better defender than guys like Hayward and Saric. Sees him as a future All-Defensive Team calibre wing, with good all-round offence to boot.
Compared him to Tayshaun Prince I think, which would be a genuinely awesome addition to this team! I've seen him mocked between 12-16, so potentially available. Probably end up like Haliburton last year 
Yeah, what gouki said.
Franz is a long, athletic defender who should be assigned to guard the opponent's best wing, with the ability to switch him onto any other position because of his length, skill, and agility. His help defense is tremendous, as is his defensive vision. He can get from one side of the court to the other to jump passing lanes or get weak-side blocks, and can recover back to his man if he doesn't get the steal. He's also a plus defensive rebounder. He has an All-Defense ceiling and could lead the league in steals+blocks once or twice in his career. The Celtics defense would be the most disruptive in the league with him and Time Lord on the court at the same time.
Offensively, he's capable of penetrating off the dribble and creating good passing lanes, and is a pretty good finisher near the basket. His jump shooting is questionable, and may sag off him until it improves. But he's better at driving/creating than someone like Grant Williams for example, so he wouldn't be ignored in the same way, but until his shooting improves he will be offensively neutral at best. He's young (only 19 despite being a sophomore, so the same age as most freshmen in the draft) and it's very likely his shot will improve over time, so this is more of an early-career concern than long-term. At the same time, the Celtics need immediate help, and while Franz projects as a two-way player, he's not there yet from an NBA skillset. I don't expect his offense to ever be elite -- more like a 3rd or 4th option with the starters who could maybe be a #2 option when in a lineup with mostly reserves. He just doesn't have the mentality to be a lead scorer -- he can get very frustrated with a bad call or a couple of missed shots, and it affects him offensively. He does have the ability to get hot and put up 20 on any given night, but that should be a bonus when it happens, and not something that is planned for.
Those concerns aside, I very much want Franz. As much as anything our defense took a huge step back this year, as our rotations were slow and a perimeter defense sieve-like. Wagner would be a major asset in turning around that end of the court, while helping to create some easy buckets causing fast breaks with his steals and blocks. In the long run, he projects to at least an average offensive player -- Semi he is not. And if his shot unlocks the same way Jaylen Brown's did -- look out.
Also, I love seeing Scottie Barnes mentioned in Wagner threads. Wagner completely dismantled Barnes when they met in the tournament. That was the only Barnes game I saw this year, so I know I have incomplete information, but there's zero way I'd pick Barnes before Wagner based on what I saw when they were on the court at the same time.
Topic: Early draft look: Franz Wagner. Gordon Hayward lite? (Read 8427 times)