Michigan Basketball’s Moritz Wagner: 'I Got Lucky Playing At Michigan'
Michigan big man Moritz Wagner has left the program after three years, and he’s now working out for different teams. The German wunderkind has worked out for several teams, including Charlotte, Chicago … and today, the Washington Wizards.
“I’m just trying to work out for as many teams as I can,” he said. “Just anything can happen, something I can’t control, so I want to showcase myself, show my stuff as much as I can."
Many outlets now believe Wagner will be a late first round pick, and he’s admittedly getting “a wide range” of feedback, he told reporters after working out for the Hornets, adding, “I wish I knew.”
One thing he does know, however — he made the right choice playing for head coach John Beilein at Michigan.
“I got lucky playing at Michigan because the stuff we did in the workout, I feel very comfortable doing because I’ve been doing it the past three years,” he said after the Washington workout. “It’s very similar stuff, so I’m lucky, a blessed man.
“I never saw it [as auditioning for the NBA growing up]. I just tried to get better, to be honest. That was always the mentality. At a certain point it may click and I knew I wanted to do this seriously. In college I knew it right away, wanted to prove it, and I couldn’t prove it at first. But I’ve always bene a very confident guy, so confidence has never been an issue.”
Wagner posted the second-fastest time in lane agility at the NBA Combine and the third best in the shuttle run and three-quarter court sprint, making U-M strength coach Jon Sanderson proud. He also had the widest hands (10.75 inches).
Wizards coaches had some sage advice after the workout, he said.
“Pass it a little bit more sometimes. That what they said,” he said with a laugh. “Nah, nothing surprising. Everything I know already. I had a good chat with the guys, met them down at the combine, too. I felt pretty comfortable being around them. They are pretty good people.”
The Washington workout was a bit more intense, a little more individual work than he saw in Chicago, he added. But again, he was prepared for what they threw at him.
“When I started playing basketball I played guard, handled the ball,” he said. “My coaches in Europe did a great job emphasizing it, telling me to keep embracing and improving that skill.
“I always loved to shoot, even though it didn’t go in a lot earlier in my career. In college it stared going in. Now I feel very confident.”
He also got better with his ball screen defense, something he can use at the next level.
ESPN.com projects him going to Brooklyn with the 29th pick overall (first round), but he’s still got work to do to ensure he doesn’t slip to the second.
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