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Ex-Kings GM Vlade Divac: 'Time will tell' if drafting Marvin Bagley over Luka Dončić was right decision
LoungeLizard
Starter
If reports are to be believed, Vlade wanted MPJ. The pick was Bagley though, can’t rewrite history. It’s Darkoesque. No need to wait for more time. It was bad. However, in Vlades defense, many draft experts were still high on Bagley.
Often wrong, but never in doubt.
captain bill
All-Star
seems close to an admission that Fox’s camp was anti-Doncic but also too old of news to care
That's... definitely a way to read that...
Kingz19
Hall of Famer
Yeah, I took it to mean that as well. Obviously the jury isn’t still out on Bagley so in Vlade’s mind it will be judged by the totality of Fox’s tenure with the Kings when it’s all said and done.
I’m not putting that weight on Fox personally. I also don’t think it was from Fox’s camp. As he was coming off his rookie season and a pretty lackluster one at that. I don’t think he really had a camp nor held any sway. I think there was some Brandon Williams and maybe some personal animosity between Vlade and Luka’s camp.
We can just say Vlade blew it
It’s a testament to how beloved those Adelman teams were that Vlade can still be a regular at Kings games and still generally be In good standing with the fans.
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Luka was in the Finals last year with ball-dominant PG Kyrie Irving as his teammate. I don't want to wade into the "what-if" waters again other than to say... the kid was already 6'6" or 6'7" as an 18 year old. The whole "he can't play with Fox cause they're both PGs" take has never made any sense to me dating all the way back to 2017. Luka is a "Point Guard" in the same way that Lebron James has been for most of his career. Basketball players who can self-create and pass the ball creatively make their teammates better, period.
Yeah, it just blows my mind some fans can't comprehend "BPA over all" in the draft and still think need is important. Vlade drafted a big over Luka because it was a bigger "need" with Fox on board. And the only reason it's not the worst draft decision in professional sports is because someone drafted Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan.
Now if Vlade actually thought Bagley was better than Luka... Fine. But that quote very much indicates he drafted Bagley with need in mind.
Now if Vlade actually thought Bagley was better than Luka... Fine. But that quote very much indicates he drafted Bagley with need in mind.
sono
Starter
Even worse., at first he passed on BPA, then he missed on his need; failed twice.
coolhandluke
Starter
I'm pretty sure Vlade would still have doubts when Luka gets into the HOF.
PurpleHaze
All-Star
I'm appalled Vivek swoons when around Vlade endlessly, allows him to sit along side Kings owner in those prime court side seats. Most fans don't like that picture every season knowing Divac arguably cost franchise one NBA championship at the hands of Robert Horry and highly likely more titles at some point if taken future NBA HOFer Luka Doncic instead of long gone from Sac, the one and only Marvin Bagley.
I wanted Luka. I've grown to dislike him but I wanted Luka.
All that said, there were a lot of people arguing that Luka would bust, that he had reached his ceiling early, that he wasn't athletic enough to play in the NBA. A lot of people mocked him to the Kings and then mocked the Kings for making that pick, sure to be a bust.
Also I think Brandon Williams was the biggest driving factor for Bagley.
In any event, people in the front office fell in love with Bagley to the extent they didn't work out the rest of the top 6.
Phoenix kind of blowing his development and/or Ayton turning out to be a lazy bum has also let us off the hook some. Still what maddens me more than anything was not drafting Luka and trading his rights for the guy we wanted after the fact like ATL did with the next pick.
sactowndog
All-Star
It was a bad pick regardless. JJJ would have been a perfect fit next to Sabonis and he was available. But I still maintain the 10 pick in one of the best drafts ever was a bigger miss. Random chance was better than JJ and Giles.
why?
Luka is on a first ballot HoF trajectory. The start of his career statistically is basically only matched by LeBron and MJ.
Guys like Don Mitchell and Bam are massive misses, of course, but they aren't Luka
I shouldn’t, but I too always let the 2017 draft flop bother me more even though at the time I considered Zach Collins right up there with Bam etc. 2016 was also a colossal misjudgment, especially after so much potential with his Belinelli trade and 8th pick trade back.
Fan favourite or not Vlade had no business being a GM.
fansinceday1
Starter
I absolutely adored vlade for his time here. I didn't hold that 2002 tip to horry against him at all however, him screwing up what was probably the easiest draft choice in NBA history has forever soiled his name in my book. Vlade did what 28 years of kings ineptitude couldn't do, kill my kings fandom. Now I'm just a casual observer.
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PorchSurfin
Starter
McNair has always drafted BPA and figured it out after.
Probably why he is a better GM. Crazy to think it took Vivek THAT long to find a good GM.
Let's not forget Vlade gave us Puke Walton without interviewing anyone else. Even with the drama associated with Walton that offseason too....
sactowndog
All-Star
Luka is a fabulous offensive player who gives no effort on defense. I’m not convinced you can win a Chip with Luka.
coolhandluke
Starter
I'm convinced that one has a better chance of winning a championship with Luka Doncic instead of Marvin Bagley III.
sactowndog
All-Star
Perhaps but I am not convinced you have a better chance with Luka than Fox
I mean, that's clearly Luka too. One dude has a WCF and a Finals appearance. The other has 1 playoff appearance. Luka is a full tier or 2 ahead statistically
I love Fox, he's our guy, but there's not a single person on earth that wouldn't swap them 1 for 1 if offered.
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KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Thing is, even removing #77 from the equation, Bagley wasn't even top 5 on the consensus of draft boards.
That's what made the decision to take Bagley even worse.
Those reports aren't true. If they were, MPJ would have been the pick. But he wasn't.
We already knew he was an idiot GM before he ever selected Bagley (PapaG anyone?), but he definitely cemented his legacy with that decision.
He was right about one thing, though. Time did tell. It's been over 6 years since that fateful day and Bagley hasn't been with the KINGS for nearly half that time. He was traded away roughly 2 and 1/2 years ago. And is still the dime a dozen player he was the day he was drafted.
Regardless, the KINGS parting with the player 3+ years after drafting him and only having Trey Lyles to show for it means the game is over and the KINGS unequivocally lost.
That's not correct. With the MPJ injury, the five guys who went top five (Ayton, Bagley, Doncic, JJJ, Trae) were top five in some order on basically every draft board. Perhaps there was a board here or there with Bagley out of the top five, but you'd have to shop around to find one.
Double-K
Starter
seems close to an admission that you are also on Fox's camp which means you were also anti-Doncic.
It's the only way.
SacTownKid
Hall of Famer
Vlade isn't wrong in terms of theory, he was wrong in terms of that draft for sure and even more importantly, that he miscast Bagley as being the next Giannis instead of being the next one dimensional pnr big. Now, the pressure keeps building. Fox wears the should have won it all and most complete Kings team of all time uni next season. Now time to save Vlades butt Foxy, lol.
KingsFanSince85
All-Star
Eh, you'll have to prove that to me. Because I firmly recall Bagley being out of the top 5 on many boards, and being around 6. And back in 2018 I was fairly heavy into college ball and researching the draft.
I can't say you're unequivocally wrong, but if you're going to claim that I'm wrong than I'm gonna need more than a liar liar pants on fire response. Because I think it's more the opposite, where perhaps there were some mocks here and there with Bagley in the top 5.
I realize that mock drafts are always fluid, so I suppose a lot depends upon timing and how near or far away from the draft the mock was published. My recollection is that Bagley was higher (in the top 5) the further out from the draft one goes and lower (out of the top 5) the closer we got to it.
I'd have to dig deep (if the posts are even on this site any more) but I seem to remember even posting something here at the time about Vlade bypassing #77 for a dude 6th on many draft boards.
