The Sacramento Kings surprised the world when they selected Marvin Bagley III in the 2018 NBA Draft. But was it a smart decision all along?
During the 2018 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings shocked many in the NBA community when they invested their second overall pick on Marvin Bagley III out of Duke University.
Although Bagley was considered a top prospect in his draft class, many in the NBA and Kings community believed there were better options available for Vlade Divac when he was on the clock. The most popular one being Luka Doncic from Real Madrid.
For Doncic, many believed he was the best player available for the Kings. Due to his size, skillset, and past accomplishments, there was a high chance that Doncic would become an impactful player for Sacramento straight out the gate. Also, Doncic plays the position of small forward, a position that the Kings are currently thin at and really need to address in the near future.
Well, there is no turning back now. Doncic is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks and the Kings have Bagley on their roster. Even though some may believe the Kings made a huge mistake by taking the Blue Devil prospect, what if Vlade and company actually made the right decision? What if Bagley is the better choice not only over Doncic but everyone else that was available in the draft?
To me, there are five reasons why this reality exists. So get comfortable, and enjoy this slideshow explaining why I think it was a good move for the Sacramento Kings to select Marvin Bagley III.
Reason #1: Marvin’s Athletic Ability
One of the main reasons why Bagley was a top prospect in the draft was because of his elite athleticism. While in high school and college, Bagley relied on his physical gifts in order for him to become a success at those levels.
As a runner, Bagley is both quick and fast for his size (stands at 6’10” and weighs 235 pounds). With the speed that Bagley possesses, it will definitely help him when running the fast-break offense and defending players who most likely will be bigger and stronger than him. Giving him the potential to become a great two-way player.
As for his jumping ability, Bagley has got himself some springs which especially helped him when grabbing the boards. Due to his amazing hops and good reaction time, Bagley became one of the best rebounders in college basketball last season. For his campaign, 33 games, he averaged 11.1 total rebounds per contest while four of those rebounds were on the offensive end. That is right, four offensive rebounds a game! If Bagley is even close to replicating those numbers with the Kings, it will help with the team’s rebounding woes immensely.
Bagley may be raw at the moment. But if he is able to put it all together, opponents better watch out!
Reason #2: Marvin’s Basketball Resume
I chimed on it a little bit in the last slide, but I am going to repeat it again. Bagley has not yet shown to struggle at any level of basketball he has competed in.
During his high school days, Bagley was just a beast compared to his competition. In his final high school season with Sierra Canyon, he averaged 24.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, and two blocks in the 29 games he appeared in.
A year later, Bagley was a member of the Duke Blue Devils where he accomplished personal accolades like being a member of the First-team All ACC team, being the winner of the Pete Newell Big Man Award, and being named the ACC Player of the Year.
During his 33 games at Durham, he averaged 21 points, 11.1 rebounds, and almost one block per game. He also shot 61.4% from the floor and 39.7% from the three-point line.
Based on his resume, Bagley has shown nothing short of dominance in every level of basketball he has played in. Obviously, growing pains are going to be inevitable once Marvin enters the NBA. But at the same time, Marvin has yet to underperformed when he is on the hardwood.
During his rookie campaign, Marvin may not be the asset that Kings fans hope he can be. But there should be high hope that he will eventually figure it out.
Reason #3: Marvin’s Mental Strength
Not only do the best basketball players in the world have to be elite physically, but also strong mentally as well. For Bagley, this will not be an issue going forward. Another great quality that he has is his confidence as a basketball player. I mean, the guy predicted himself to be the NBA’s next MVP.
Just using the eye test, Bagley’s belief in himself is glaring as he has shown to be the most aggressive player on the court, and as a result, he was usually the best and most energized guy on the court. With this type of mindset, it can be contagious within the franchise which can result in better play from the Kings across their roster.
I think most Kings fans can agree that effort is the main attribute they want to see from their players. Sure, the Kings will lose games. They have lost a ton in the last decade. But as long as they are being aggressive and working their tails off, the fans of the purple and white are going to appreciate them greatly.
If Marvin remains to be the confident and aggressive player he has shown to be in the past, the Sacramento Kings community will fall in love with him. A little, ok a lot of effort, is all that they ask for.
Reason #4: Marvin’s Shooting Potential
It may not be in his offensive arsenal yet, but there is the hope that Bagley will become a good shooter in his future. For starters, Bagley has shown not only to make his midrange shots but his perimeter shots as well. During his lone season at Duke, Bagley made almost 40% of his three-point attempts which was a lot better than most expected out of him.
Not only did Bagley record a solid clip from three-point land, but his shooting stroke has good promise as well. Just based on my eye test, there were no major issues when seeing Bagley’s shooting mechanics. In my opinion, it resembles a jumper similar to Chris Bosh. So as long as he continues to practice shooting in the gym, hopefully, he can develop into a consistent shooter.
Right now, Bagley’s offensive game is mainly around the paint area, so he is going to be predictable for opponents that go up against him. But if Marvin is able to make strides in his jump shot, then he becomes more versatile and unpredictable on the offensive end. Add those skills with his freak athleticism and the Kings may have a future bonafide scorer on their hands.
Reason #5: Marvin’s Star Potential
For the Kings to actually become a legit contender for the NBA championship, they are going to need multiple star players on their squad. Analyzing the most recent draft class, I believe Bagley is one of the few guys that contains star-caliber talent.
The guy has blue-chip athleticism and a motivation to get better. What more can one ask for in a young player? If Bagley does live up to his true potential, he will be a nightmare for opponents to prepare for. Offensively, he will be a pain to handle in the post and can sink his opponent’s hearts if he develops into a reliable perimeter shooter. Defensively, he can use his quickness and aggressive nature to agitate opponents all night long while being a top-tier shot-blocker with his quick jumping ability.
Yes, it will take time for Marvin Bagley to reach his immense ceiling. But his chances are high due to his desire to become one of the NBA greats. Add a blossomed Bagley with other Kings that have developed (let us just say De’Aaron Fox and Harry Giles?), and the Kings may become a legit contender for the title.
The Kings and their fans can only dream right now.