Projected Draft Status
Chad Ford, ESPN’s NBA Draft expert, last gave his projection for Wagner came after Michigan upset Louisville.
Wagner ranked No. 40 in our Top 100 coming into tourney. Will be in the 20s when we update on Monday. DJ Wilson also helped himself a lot
— NBA Big Board (@chadfordinsider) March 19, 2017
There are certainly reasons for taking Wagner in the mid to late first round. For starters, he’s young, a huge bonus for NBA GM’s looking to mold players. Wagner also has elite offensive skills, good handles and a three point stroke that can stretch the floor. You can’t teach that to guys who over 6’10. In addition, he has a relentless motor and gets nothing but praise from John Beilein. As Brendan Quinn of MLive put it: “Wagner has an infectious personality and Beilein fell for it.”
Rebounding and defense will be critique from the NBA scouts. While Michigan is known for its rebounding guards, the German big man couldn’t crack five boards a game. Coupled with 2.7 fouls a game, there will be remarks about Wagner needing to get stronger and tougher.
Even so, strength can be gained and defense can be taught. Wagner’s offensive upside is tantalizing enough that those problems can be overlooked.