The Sacramento Kings selected Marvin Bagley III with the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and we grade that decision by Sacramento.
NBA Draft night in 2018 has been on Sacramento Kings fans minds since they secured the number two overall pick in the lottery. Much debate and discussion took place about who the Kings should pick and why.
Well the wait is over and the decision is in. Sacramento chose Marvin Bagley III with the pick. He is 6’11 and 235 pound big man with a strong offensive game.
Check out this highlight video for a small sampling of what Bagley III can do.
Marvin Bagley III- F/C- Duke
1st round: 2nd overall grade: B
Reaction
The Kings decided on Bagley III a big man from Duke who is a standout athlete but struggles on the defensive end. MB3 should fit well and fill the hole in the Kings roster at power forward. He is a nightmare to defend in transition and can score the ball in a plethora of ways.
Bagley III perhaps relies too much on scoring with his left hand, but the fit alongside De’Aaron Fox could be fantastic. Watching those two play in transition should be a lot of fun for Kings fans. Bagley III is also a needed floor spacing big to help open the paint for Fox.
Related Story: 5 reasons the Kings need to draft Marvin Bagley III
Given his glaring weaknesses and the fact that almost every expert had Luka Doncic rated higher, the grade could not go above B. The Kings selected a consensus top-five pick with superstar upside, but there were better current players on the board.
Final Thoughts
The Sacramento Kings selection of Marvin Bagley III earns a B grade. The Kings thought outside the box to choose MB3, but his defense is worrying. Bagley III’s instincts standout as poor and he will struggle at least early in his career on the defensive end. He could be a 20 points per game scorer with double-digit rebounds, though.
Hopefully, the Kings front office proves to be correct and Bagley III becomes the star that leads Sacramento back to contention. Stay tuned.
Next: Re-grading the last 5 Kings drafts
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