Sacramento Kings burning question No. 3: What to do with Marvin Bagley?
McNair also must decide what to do with Marvin Bagley and figure out whether or not he will be a part of the Kings’ rebuilding effort. Bagley has been difficult to evaluate due to his extensive injury history.
The question is whether Bagley can overcome his injuries or will he allow them to derail his once-promising career? While he missed 20 games during his rookie year, he only played in 13 total games this past season. A lot of criticism has been shown concerning the Kings’ decision to draft Bagley No. 2 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft in front of players such as Luka Doncic, Jaren Jackson, and Trae Young.
This upcoming season will largely determine if Bagley will be viewed as a franchise cornerstone along with Fox and will he live up to his enormous potential? Bagley is a quality big who has superior athleticism with quick elevation and agility. He is dangerous in transition and finishes strong at the rim and could form a lethal tandem with Fox while running the floor.
Bagley must improve on the defensive end as he is often viewed as a liability. But with the right coaching, he can become a force with his size and length. Hopefully, Bagley will become the player the Kings envisioned when they drafted him and that he remains healthy enough to prove his worth.