Moritz Wagner, after a complicated season in the NBA, has finally found a smile. A pillar of the German team who qualified somewhat to everyone’s surprise for the Tokyo Olympics, the former Michigan player has shown that he has not lost any of his talent. A few days before the start of the Games, the pivot passed by the Lakers and the Magic is projected on the competition and returns to the NBA season, not to mention his brother, Franz, announced in the Top 15 of the next Draft.
Moe Wagner, Germany will therefore go to Tokyo after qualifying in Split, to everyone’s surprise …
Indeed, and we are so happy to have won this ticket for the Olympics, it is really great news for German basketball. We went to Croatia with the goal of making a splash, to play our card to the full because for this kind of tournament, we must not think too much, we must play as a team and fight as if each match was the last. . We arrived full of confidence and with a well-established collective, without being afraid of losing. We knew what we would be capable of, because even if we don’t have stars in the workforce, we have players who really know how to play basketball and who play their role perfectly. We have a fairly varied game, we can alternate between fast play or a little slower play with shooters and systems that take up a large part of the possession time, and that bothers the opponents a lot. Now we’re going to Japan to have a good tournament.
You had a great tournament, and were named MVP of it. How important was it to you to perform well after a difficult NBA season in a personal capacity?
Not really to be completely honest with you. The MVP title doesn’t matter to me, I’m not a big fan of individual titles anyway. I am happy to have been able to bring my contribution to the building and to have been able to bring my country back to the Olympics with the help of my teammates and staff. We are a united group, we fight for each other, and I have done good performances, but I try to be a united teammate and who encourage whatever the circumstances. Score 28 points or 5 points, it doesn’t matter. We came on a mission and we accomplished the first part of it. This is what matters most to me.
“The coming of Dennis to support us is a strong sign, he also gave us strength”
Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis and Maxi Kleber, pillars of the selection, could not make the TQO. The workforce is less well known than in the past, how could you define the main strengths of the “Mannschaft”?
I think our greatest strength is our collective and the fact that each player knows what he is capable of. We have a coaching staff who is really super competent, and who creates a very solid unity in the group. We showed it in Split: we are not afraid, we know what we can do and we play liberally. Nobody talked too much about us because Dennis and some of the other executives weren’t with us on the pitch, but the team is super strong on both sides of the pitch. The coming of Dennis to support us is a strong sign, he also gave us strength because he is a guy who has an aura, a great experience of the very high level. It was great to see him support us. We did not steal our qualification if you watch our matches carefully. Germany is a great basketball country, and we will continue this tradition as long as possible.
What is your dream for Tokyo?
We want to be talked about in Tokyo. In the best possible way, I reassure you… We are going to Japan with the objective of making our compatriots proud and having a good tournament. Why not aim for a medal? That would be really great, but we’re going to take it step by step. The field is really high, and a lot of teams can do well. The Olympic Games are a childhood dream, and we want to make the most of them. We did big performances in Split for the TQO, we built up confidence for what will come in the weeks to come. We are very motivated, and we will play our card to the full.
“Seeing my brother in the NBA is like my dream of playing in the NBA has come true again”
This NBA season has been a bit complicated with frequent team changes …
Yes, it was not easy but I still learned a lot during the season, even if changing teams is not always easy to manage. I know the business of the NBA is like that, and you have to be prepared for this kind of change almost all the time. I was professional and involved, I did not indulge in a certain negativity despite the not always favorable situations. This season has been trying, but I know I will come back stronger. I know I can help a team, but now my focus is on the Olympics with the national team. For the moment, the NBA, apart from following the Finals a bit, I will mainly help my brother Franz to make a good preparation for the Draft.
Exactly, how is his process going until next July 29 and the NBA Draft?
Everything is going very well, he does his homework very well. He’s having a great season in Michigan and I’m very confident in him because he worked hard to get there. He gives his all during this preparation, he accumulates a lot of knowledge and he is a very intelligent boy who knows what to do to reach the best level. Not many people really know him, but he’s a very good basketball player, who knows how to get involved on both sides of the court and can score from all over the place. It will surprise people and I look forward to July 29. Seeing my brother in the NBA is like my dream of playing in the NBA has come true again. He deserves what happens to him, I am, and I will be, so happy for him.
What kind of advice do you give him?
I tell him above all to be himself and to show that he is a “team player”. We talk to each other almost every day, he listens because I’ve been there before, but he also has the personality of a guy who always wants to know more, so he asks a lot of questions. We spend hours on the phone, we’re very close, and he knows he can count on me. Franz is someone who was independent from a very young age, but also someone who listens and takes nothing for granted. He knows the screenings put him in the lottery, but he’s fighting to be in the best possible position. He is calm, and focused on taking that big leap to go to the NBA.
| Moe Wagner | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Tirs | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Until | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | LAL | 43 | 10 | 41.5 | 28.6 | 81.1 | 0.4 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 4.8 |
| 2019-20 | WAS | 45 | 19 | 54.5 | 31.2 | 82.1 | 1.2 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.4 | 8.7 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 45 | 16 | 45.4 | 34.1 | 81.6 | 0.6 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 6.9 |
| 2020-21 * | WAS | 25 | 15 | 50.8 | 31.0 | 78.8 | 0.5 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 7.1 |
| 2020-21 * | ENT | 11 | 26 | 40.9 | 37.2 | 87.9 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 4.9 | 1.1 | 3.3 | 0.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 11.0 |
| 2020-21 * | FOREST | 9 | 7 | 28.6 | 33.3 | 50.0 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 2.1 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 1.2 |
| Total | 133 | 15 | 48.0 | 31.5 | 81.7 | 0.8 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 6.8 | |
