SLAB
Hall of Famer
The team has zero shot at the playoffs if Bagley is the starting center next year.
Next year he’ll be healthy, average 24/15, and play great defense.
Its that fourth year leap you expect from such a talented young man!!!
The team has zero shot at the playoffs if Bagley is the starting center next year.
The team has zero shot at the playoffs if Bagley is the starting center next year.
Bagley has a lot of offensive and rebounding potential, the problem is his defense and staying healthy. He could easily be a top 10 offensive center in the NBA. Most centers nowadays in the NBA aren't very good offensively, even if Bagley is guarding them. The problem with Bagley is that he was playing power forward, which has more talented offensive players eating him up down low. Bagley's best position is Center, whether he likes it or not. However, Monte will need to find a very good defensive specialist to anchor the defensive starting next to him.
With the way Holmes got bounced around by big centers, Bagley’s going to get both bounced and broken by a big center the first time one breathes on him.
The prophet has spoken! Lock him up with a multi year contract ASAPNext year he’ll be healthy, average 24/15, and play great defense.
Its that fourth year leap you expect from such a talented young man!!!
Your jest about Walton sticking around about a month or so ago came true... So excuse me if I got really excited to see this post from you. Finals bound next season, baby!Next year he’ll be healthy, average 24/15, and play great defense.
Its that fourth year leap you expect from such a talented young man!!!
The problem with Bagley is that he was playing power forward, which has more talented offensive players eating him up down low. Bagley's best position is Center, whether he likes it or not. However, Monte will need to find a very good defensive specialist to anchor the defensive starting next to him.
He's a small ball 5 and a traditional 4 that can stretch the floor a little. If you're playjng small, theoretically it's because the other team isn't playing very big at the time. If HB slides down to 4, or Harkless is in, then you have another good defender in the frontcourt with him. If the Kings are playing a traditional lineup, Marvin himself can be a bit of a floor spacer because he can shoot the 3. This makes Marvin a way more flexible piece than Holmes.
The question with Marvin is health, not fit.
Except when we played the 76ers at home, Bagley was the guy that actually was effective against Embiid, surprisingly. But that was a one time deal I think. Bagley is a 4 it appearsWith the way Holmes got bounced around by big centers, Bagley’s going to get both bounced and broken by a big center the first time one breathes on him.
I think both health and fit are legit questions with him. We know the Kings' defense was atrocious. The road to respectability, much less perennial playoff participation or championship contention, is largely about making leaps and bounds on the defensive side. The Kings' defensive woes clearly don't reduce to MB's liabilities, but, right now, whether at the 4 or 5 he hurts you; you have to talk about a complementary player (or players) along the front line.
Even offensively it's tricky. OOH, he shot 34.3% from 3. Not great, but not bad (2 pts better than DFox), and trending upward. But he's clearly more comfortable and effective down low, meaning, as LPKingsFan says, the ideal fit with him is a defensive anchor w/a 3-ball - Jaren Jackson w/better rebounding skills. (Dedmon was supposed to offer some of that, but...)
Not easy.
He can’t afford to be. It’s take a .550 record to make the playoffs in the West. Going into next season with a team you don’t think can do that is just another wasted season. 16 and counting. We have enough data now to know this team currently cannot reach that goal. So you need to start making some really bold moves.
I think a big key to next season is whether or not Buddy accepts a role coming off the bench. Buddy's ideal role is a "Lou Williams" instant offense player as the 6th man. If Buddy would accept that role and Haliburton can start at SG, I think that will go a long way in getting the Kings into the playoffs next year. Unless, the Kings are able to trade Buddy for a good rotation player.
Also, Monte needs to get a good 3 and D, either through draft, FA or trade, to fill in the PF or SF spot opposite Barnes. Even retaining Mo Harkless for that spot may be a good get. If Richaun gets signed away in free agency, the Kings will need a 3 and D SF or PF to fill out the starting line up. If the Kings lose Richaun, Bagley will likely start at center, so the Kings will need a defensive specialist to fill out the Front Court.
JJJ is what you would need to compliment Holmes. Marvin has had to make the adjustments in his game so they can play Holmes as a starting 5. In reality, Holmes is what we're trying to work around. When the team goes big, we have our small ball center still in the game and we have Marvin playing the 4, standing in the corner. So we still have an undersized 5 even when we're supposed to be big.
More often then not when both Holmes and Marvin are playing together, fans get frustrated with Marvin not being able to stop the opposing 5, completely missing the fact that Marvin has to play the 5 on defense because Holmes can't match up either and gets in foul trouble. But Marvin has to also play the 4 on offense because Holmes can't space the floor. This isn't a defense of Marvin. It's just the facts of what's happening on the court.
Bagley actually faired much better defensively against big centers than Holmes. He is taller and longer than Holmes and didn't have to do a lot of help defense. It is when he has to be theone to try and clog all the holes defensively that he gets confused (and where Holmes excells).With the way Holmes got bounced around by big centers, Bagley’s going to get both bounced and broken by a big center the first time one breathes on him.
Bagley actually faired much better defensively against big centers than Holmes. He is taller and longer than Holmes and didn't have to do a lot of help defense. It is when he has to be theone to try and clog all the holes defensively that he gets confused (and where Holmes excells).
This is one of the reasons I want the Kings to somehow get Evan Mobley. His defensive potential is off the charts. He is a legitimate 7 footer and a very good athlete who runs the floor well. On offense, he has a good mid range game (15-20 ft.) who can put the ball on the floor. He has very good vision and passing ability for a center and showed some ability to hit the 3 (too small of a sample size to judge). He would be able to play along side of either Bagley or Holmes with no trouble.
JJJ is what you would need to compliment Holmes. Marvin has had to make the adjustments in his game so they can play Holmes as a starting 5. In reality, Holmes is what we're trying to work around. When the team goes big, we have our small ball center still in the game and we have Marvin playing the 4, standing in the corner. So we still have an undersized 5 even when we're supposed to be big.
More often then not when both Holmes and Marvin are playing together, fans get frustrated with Marvin not being able to stop the opposing 5, completely missing the fact that Marvin has to play the 5 on defense because Holmes can't match up either and gets in foul trouble. But Marvin has to also play the 4 on offense because Holmes can't space the floor. This isn't a defense of Marvin. It's just the facts of what's happening on the court.
Yeah, the things about Holmes is that his motor is off the charts and while he doesn't have the post D potential Bagley does he's got grit Bagley has rarely shown.
He's a good prospect as you've outlined. As with all big men, they need time to develop and for their bodies to fill out. Monte isn't going to wait 3 years for another big. I suspect the Kings are looking to trade the pick, which is why they weren't concerned with tanking.
If the Kings get a top 2-3 pick in this draft to pair with Fox and Hali and trade it away because Monte doesn’t want to wait a year two..... he will have officially moved into Vlade level incompetence.
If the Kings get a top 2-3 pick in this draft to pair with Fox and Hali and trade it away because Monte doesn’t want to wait a year two..... he will have officially moved into Vlade level incompetence.
It would be Bagley all over again, though hopefully the kid could stay healthy.If the goal is the playoffs ASAP, don't take a C with a top 3 pick. I personnally have the patience to watch a player develop. But that's not where this fan base is at and it's not where our owner is at. Everything from Monte and Luke from the last couple of days of interviews has centered around making the playoffs. A 19 year old center is not going to move the needle right away. Ask Golden State how useful Wiseman has been for their playoffs run.
Bagley has a lot of offensive and rebounding potential,.
I can't imagine that Monte would deal away the pick if we got into the top-4 in this draft. That's a fireable offense.
There is a only couple of PF that averaged more than 10 rebounds a game. And those guys play heavy minutes. It is very tough for Bagley, or anyone really, to average 10 without playing heavy minutes or at the center position.This is the entire problem. He shouldn't have rebounding potential. No reason he shouldn't be over 10 a game now even with limited minutes. It's all effort based.
Not drafting Poku will be another massive mistake in a few years.