Marvin Bagley III

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#1
This new thread is to discuss Marvin Bagley III.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2017/12/18/16790032/marvin-bagley-2018-nba-draft-position
So the Kings have the #2 pick in this year's draft. It seems the smart money for the top two choices is Deandre Ayton and Luka Doncic. And the Kings will get whichever one the Suns don't pick for #1. Fine. I will be excited to have either one of them. But there are scenarios in which the Kings may choose someone else at #2. Maybe they go for need over BPA/best player available (which most of us know they shouldn't do), or maybe Ayton or Doncic slide, or maybe a 2nd tier guy climbs the ladder, or maybe Doncic doesn't commit to coming over next year. Looking at consensus mock drafts, Marvin Bagley III is most often one of the top four picks.
 
#2
I like both Doncic and Ayton over Bagley but I don't think Bagley would be a huge surprise. I've read several well-respected basketball analysts who put Bagley in the conversation with those top 2. I don't know about fit with the Kings but if his ceiling is really where some claim it is, fit won't matter. I don't really like him all that much but I'm no basketball expert. My biggest concerns about him are his defense, passing, and his 3pt shot. I think his 3pt range gets there but I don't know about the others. I like his tenacity, but did he really make his team all that much better? Is he getting the Jason Tatum treatment a little bit?

EDIT: I think Bagley fits into Joerger's style better than anyone. I don't think that should matter in deciding who we pick, but throwing it out there nonetheless.
 
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#3
I admit to being overly influenced by Scot Pollard, just because... I respect him a lot. He calls Bagley a no brainer at #2. Even at #1.

Luka - he admits to not seeing enough of. Ayton - he's worried that he's "Oden'ish" for whatever reason (I agree that may not be entirely rational but whatever).

Bagley, he seems to think has IQ and motor and talent to keep getting better. He would pick him #1. And it certainly seems plausible that people will look back on this draft and call Bagley the cream of the crop.

I don't think the Kings are settled at either big man spot. If Giles comes through at C, then Bagley at PF makes you pretty formidable on the front line though. I wouldn't mind a bit.

I'm a little afraid Doncic will be like Hezonja.

I'm not worried about WCS ego or feelings either way. Unless he's been sandbagging on purpose all this time and has some other secret gear... I don't care. Can't have a guy at this point of his career who shows up once in a while. I don't want to pay him a big contract.

So I hope we go big either Ayton or Bagley, and show WCS the door. I don't think he fits in with the gritty Kings.

ahhhhh... but..... I think I'm just trying to reverse jinx it... because my heart truly hopes we get Doncic just because he and Bogi are so freaking smart - we would just out smart every other team.
 
#6
Yeah, Bagley is defintiely the dark horse if we make a surprise pick. Bagley is a great prospect, I don't think I'd be upset if we took him because I think he has huge upside. But I'd still take Ayton/Doncic over him.

He seems like the best fit for Fox and our roster too, at least on paper.
 
#7
My main concern about Bagley is his passing. I'm a duke fan and he's more of a "me first" kind of guy. He's a great individual player but can he make his teammates better? I haven't seen Ayton or Luka play, but from I read, I like Ayton's game. With that said, Bagley would provide some scoring from the big man spot.
 
#8
It is easy to make the case that Bagley is the best fit for the Kings.
I’d have him as the worst for out of the 3.

If we take a big Ayton is better in the post now do you want to start Bagley at PF, well Ayton is a better shooter that disqualifies that as well.

Doncic fills the huge hole at Sg while providing elite shooting/passing

No way I take Bagley over them
 
#11
I think Ayton and Doncic are the consensus #1 or #2 on most boards.

Would I be disappointed if we took Bagley at #2? No.

To be honest, I think Bagley will be the top scorer of the projected top 5 picks. He has 20 pts and 10 rebounds per game written all over him. My questions are about his defense and passing ability. He will be an alpha scorer, if that is what Vlade wants from the #2.

That being said, I would still prefer Doncic, because I think he makes his teammates better. If we have Fox and Doncic setting up teammates with easy looks, that just makes the whole team better. The NBA has turned into a guard/small forward league. And you need top notch talent in the wings to win big in the league now.

Bagley I feel would be a solid pick at #2. I would go out on a limb and say he will probably have the most impressive stat line as a rookie, likely rookie of the year material. I just feel that Doncic is the better all around player.

I am hoping for Doncic, but I would be fine with Ayton or Bagley at #2. :)
 
#12
I think Ayton and Doncic are the consensus #1 or #2 on most boards.

Would I be disappointed if we took Bagley at #2? No.

To be honest, I think Bagley will be the top scorer of the projected top 5 picks. He has 20 pts and 10 rebounds per game written all over him. My questions are about his defense and passing ability. He will be an alpha scorer, if that is what Vlade wants from the #2.

That being said, I would still prefer Doncic, because I think he makes his teammates better. If we have Fox and Doncic setting up teammates with easy looks, that just makes the whole team better. The NBA has turned into a guard/small forward league. And you need top notch talent in the wings to win big in the league now.

Bagley I feel would be a solid pick at #2. I would go out on a limb and say he will probably have the most impressive stat line as a rookie. I just feel that Doncic is the better all around player.

I am hoping for Doncic, but I would be fine with Ayton or Bagley at #2. :)
Your last sentence sure is different from the sentiment around hear a few days/weeks ago. :cool:
 

gunks

Hall of Famer
#13
I wouldn't be mad if we picked him. His ceiling is arguably as high as Ayton's.

I think he has the highest bust potential of the top 3 though. If he doesn't figure out defense or improve his shooting, we just drafted Faried 2.0 (ok, that's hyperbole but y'all get what I'm saying).
 
#14
I wouldn't be mad if we picked him. His ceiling is arguably as high as Ayton's.

I think he has the highest bust potential of the top 3 though. If he doesn't figure out defense or improve his shooting, we just drafted Faried 2.0 (ok, that's hyperbole but y'all get what I'm saying).
But Pollard is the greatest bust-sniffer ... and he endorses Bagley. Total icing on the cake
 
#15
Apparently Bagley didn't measure at the combine, but I trust that if the Kings brought him in for a workout, they'd get the information they'd need to make an informed decision. I worry he isn't as long as some of the guys you hear him compared to (Bosh, Amare, even KG). Seems more like a taller Blake Griffin to me -- which is still good!

Now, Griffin has fallen into the "tweener" trap in the modern NBA -- it seems like bigs these days need to either protect the rim or stretch the floor. Bagley did almost shoot 40% from three in college, but that was on less than two attempts per game, and his free-throw percentage (62.7%) wasn't great. That said, you can work to improve shooting, while other things -- like Bagley's motor -- you can't teach. I see his fit with Fox, too.
 

pdxKingsFan

So Ordinary That It's Truly Quite Extraordinary
Staff member
#17
If we want Bagley I would sure hope we trade down to 3 and get Atlanta's 2019 first (assuming they own it).

Right now I feel like Doncic is our guy.
 
#19
Doncic fills the huge hole at Sg while providing elite shooting/passing
I'm curious why you say that. I can see the passing, but Doncic's shooting is not elite and at best average. His 3pt % hovers around 30%, to me he looks like a guy who can shoot but not necessary good shooter.
 

funkykingston

Super Moderator
Staff member
#20
I'm curious why you say that. I can see the passing, but Doncic's shooting is not elite and at best average. His 3pt % hovers around 30%, to me he looks like a guy who can shoot but not necessary good shooter.
His 3P% on catch-and-shoot opportunities is significantly higher. He's got a touch of JWill in that he has a number of end of quarter/half/game heaves that drop his percentage but it's primarily lower than it should be due to a lot of ill-advised off the dribble and/or end of the shot clock threes. With time and better decision making I'd expect him to be a 36%-40% shooter from outside.
 
#22
Pollard called out McLemore and Thomas Robinson as being busts. He raived about Embiid. Big things for Pollard are strength and the ability to will your team to victories. Pollard is money - but he doesn’t actually watch that many games besides Kansas.
 
#25
Pollard called out McLemore and Thomas Robinson as being busts. He raived about Embiid. Big things for Pollard are strength and the ability to will your team to victories. Pollard is money - but he doesn’t actually watch that many games besides Kansas.
And these guys are all Kansas guys. Where’s the track record with players outside his own program? Even then, it wasn’t hard for many to see that McLemore and Robinson had strikes working against them and that Embiid was different. It a lot of revelation there.
 
#26
Not everything. For example, he said Buddy would be a bust. He's clearly not.
I don't recall that. I actually remember pretty vividly on Carmichael Dave's show that he said his ceiling was probably a super 6th man. That he wasn't really mind blowing as a prospect, but was probably good enough to stick around. I just googled Scot Pollard Buddy Hield for fun and the first thing that comes up is his twitter which says this. "I love his attitude. Great heart. Not naturally gifted. But a great player."

Obviously he can't always be right about everyone so I should've said that differently. But he is often enough that I respect his opinion a lot more than most.
 
#27
Not everything. For example, he said Buddy would be a bust. He's clearly not.
See, Pollard no different than any of us. Sometimes right, sometimes wrong. And he likely only saw Buddy play a few times since he’s not a KU guy.

I like Scot Pollard a lot. But if he was really proven talent evaluator, some program would have snatched him up already.
 
#28
Glad Bagley is part of the conversation, it will be good to bring him in for workouts. At this point for me its still Donic as I think the Suns are set on Ayton, however if there are really questions about Donic coming over this year then interested in other options.
 
#29
His 3P% on catch-and-shoot opportunities is significantly higher. He's got a touch of JWill in that he has a number of end of quarter/half/game heaves that drop his percentage but it's primarily lower than it should be due to a lot of ill-advised off the dribble and/or end of the shot clock threes. With time and better decision making I'd expect him to be a 36%-40% shooter from outside.
I did notice he shoots better in catch and shoot because he was usually wide open. I get that he will improve the % if he takes better shots, but someone who is supposed to be the go-to guy often don't have that luxury. A go-to player has to take and make bad shots, to bail the team out, to score when the defense zeros in on him.

Those "ill-advised" off the dribble shots and end of the shot clock threes are going to be shots he needs to knock down in the NBA if he is going to be "the guy". He isn't going to blow by anyone or create good separation, if he can't make those off the dribble shots with hands in his face then is he really a go-to guy? From the game I watched, I don't think he took those shots because he is a chucker, I think it's because those are the best shots he could get; and I expect that to happen more frequently after he enters the NBA.

And if the answer is, "no, he is not a go-to player."; then should he be a #2 pick?
 
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