This is
such a weird perspective to me. The Kings are a young team outperforming expectations while sitting at .500 more than a quarter of the way through the season in an absolutely bonkers Western Conference with a rookie who is performing well off the bench. If Vlade's job is ever "in trouble," it will have nothing to do with Marvin Bagley, whose per 36 numbers would easily put him in conversation for ROY. With time, he'll be a long-term starter, and with time, he could easily develop into a long-term all-star.
I really like Luka Doncic a lot. He's looked great to start the season. But a certain segment of the fanbase really needs to stop looking for
every excuse to bemoan the fact that Doncic isn't a King, to desperately hang on every single whisper of front office discord, to point out every single stumble in Bagley's rookie season, to foam at the mouth over every single Doncic highlight, all in service to the notion that the Kings got it "wrong" when they drafted Bagley over Doncic. It's so blatantly transparent. It borders on absolute mania, a psychosis the likes of which Sacramento hasn't seen since Peja Stojakovic wore a Kings jersey.
Doncic is being given a
massive leash with which to work during his rookie season, and he's running with it. Marvin hasn't had that kind of leash in Sacramento, but he's performed quite well in the minutes he's been given. Yes, it's amazing to watch Doncic work with his limited athleticism to get his shots off, but all of that extra effort and dancing with the ball is going to wear him down across 82 games until he gets into better shape. His defense has likewise left a
ton to be desired. He just looks unable to keep up with NBA-quality athletes on that side of the floor.
By contrast, Marvin's athleticism and motor are completely off the charts, and his effort on defense has been really encouraging (if not always the results). He also looks so ridiculously fluid and decisive when he's inside the paint (he's like the anti-Jason Thompson). His lack of a consistent 3-point shot will be a hindrance, of course, until he develops the kind of outside shot that NBA teams require of PF's today. But there's certainly no reason to think that Vlade or the Kings are somehow "in trouble" because they didn't draft Doncic.
And the notion that Bagley is being outperformed by all of the other lottery bigs is, quite frankly, a crock of sh*t. This lottery was loaded. There's lots of talent. I like Jackson, Carter, and Ayton, but if you're watching them and not witnessing three bigs who are likewise suffering from rookie lapses of BBIQ, then you're clearly not arguing in good faith. JJJ, in particular, has a habit of playing very loose, and has been prone to plenty of boneheaded mistakes so far this season, despite impressing overall. And Ayton has been even more pathetic on defense than scouts warned coming into his first NBA season (and I was somebody who was really hoping that he might fall to the Kings on draft day). You want to talk about poor defensive IQ? If things continue as they are, Ayton may very well finish his rookie season as one of the worst defenders in the league at his position.
Point is, you see what you want to see, and some of you Dreamers-for-Doncic will quite literally seize on any scrap that helps you cling to your world view.