To start, there is absolutely no need to check on a broken finger daily.
2. Game shape can only be achieved by playing games. There is nothing to indicate that Bagley doesn't stay in shape otherwise. If there is a concern about that, it's up to the team to monitor it. When asked about Marvin when he was away, Luke said Marvin is doing everything they have asked him to do.
3. There is no indication that he was in Arizona getting lessons on basketball from his dad.
4. Bagley is very effective scoring in the post. The initial complaint from this fan base is that he's a low post player and the modern NBA doesn't need that. Now we're moving the goal posts.
You're under no obligation to like Marvin. But there is no need to make up reasons. There have been no reports that he's been a problem. As a matter of fact, James Ham just said yesterday that he's a good guy. Good in the lockerroom and never a problem.
There is no reason to misquote me either. I did not say he had "emotional trauma". Getting away from negativity is what a healthy person does. Thinking a player should sit around and immerse themselves in abuse is just weird and dehumanizing.
I've done a lot of thinking on Bagley. I've been a supporter of his since we drafted him, and I tried to stay away from the Doncic comparisons because they're nonproductive, and unfair to Bagley. He didn't ask to be drafted before Doncic, so to my mind, he came to the team with a clean slate. But it soon became obvious to me, that up until he arrived in the NBA, Bagley had been able to dominate with his athleticism and length. He was taller and quicker, and could jump higher than most of the opposition. That ended when he got to the NBA.
Don't get me wrong, those things still mattered, and certainly helped him, but he no longer automatically dominated. He was mostly looked at as a post player, but to these old eyes, he lacks the polish of a good post player. I didn't see the pump fakes or drop steps and reverse spin moves that players like Elton Brand, Hakeem Olajuwon, Bernard King, Adrian Dantley and most of the great post players used. And the results showed that. While that surprised me to some extent, I figured that it was something that he would develop along with the rest of his offense.
But here we are almost at the end of year three, and I can't honestly say that I've seen dramatic improvement in his game. Not the kind of improvement that I would expect from a player that many thought had the potential to become a superstar. There has been improvement! His outside shot is much better. He has a nice mid-range shot, which unfortunately he seldom uses. But in the post, he's still the same player. He's still trying to out quick his opposition, and with a scoring percentage of 71% at the basket, or within three feet of the basket, one could say, what's the problem.
I guess you could say there isn't one, until you find out that Barnes, Holmes, Whiteside, Fox, and even Metu score at a higher percentage within three feet of the basket than Bagley. And that Bagleys scoring percentage at the basket is almost identical this season as it was his first season. His rebounds per minute are almost identical to his first season. In other words, there hasn't been much improvement across the board. Now I can argue that there are many reasons for that outcome, and it's mostly lack of time on the floor. In three years, he's played in slightly more than half of the available games. And that matters!
So the looming question is, what is Bagley's future with the team going forward? Well, if I'm reading the tea leaves, my guess is that he doesn't have one. GM's tend to favor players that they drafted, and McNair didn't draft Bagley, any more than he hired Walton, who is also likely gone at years end (please God). I think the organization is ready to move on from Bagley. His on again and off again availability due to injuries has become more of a nuisance than a serious problem. He's sort of like a ghost that's hanging around. Somewhere!
I know that sounds a little harsh, but I've reached the point where I just don't care anymore. If he shows up one day and plays like a superstar, I'll be happy as a clam. But until that day happens, and I doubt it will in a Kings uniform, I simply don't care. I still wish him all the best, and I have no ill will towards him. But all my attention is on the team, and he hasn't been a part of the team for half of his professional career. At least not an active part.
I know I could have talked about his defense, but it would be hard to attack one horse without attacking the entire stable. Lets face it, when your last in the league in defense, you can't blame it on just one player. It's a team effort. Or lack thereof.. The Kings are also last in transition defense. The King are last in defense after a made basket. As a matter of fact, the Kings are last in almost every defensive category. To my mind, when your last in everything, but you have players on your team that have previously been good defenders, then it's mostly a coaching problem. I'll leave it at that.