Marvin Bagley’s Kings debut goes from bad to worse
Marvin Bagley failed to really stand out on the floor against DeAndre Ayton and the Suns, but things got worse for the Kings rookie after the game.
Sacramento Kings fans hoping to see Marvin Bagley dominate the competition in his Summer League debut were certainly disappointed. He looked pretty ordinary going up against No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton. Unfortunately, things got even worse for the former Duke star after the game.
In the aftermath of their team’s 71-61 defeat to Phoenix, Kings officials disclosed the fact that Bagley will miss time due to a “tweak in his right hip flexor and groin area.” The team didn’t provide any details about exactly how long Bagley will be out, but he’ll almost certainly miss the team’s next Summer League game against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Assuming this is an isolated injury, it shouldn’t have any long-term impact on Bagley’s career. He was a durable player during his one season in college, so calling him injury-prone at this point would be unfair. However, missing valuable preseason playing time will make it harder for Bagley to make a big impact as a rookie. That’s something the Kings were counting on from their No. 2 pick.
Kings fans have more reason to worry about how Bagley played in his big matchup against Ayton. The two players didn’t match up all that often, but Bagley struggled to create efficient offense during the contest. There were serious questions about his ability to defend at the NBA level during the pre draft process, but most scouts believed his offensive talents would allow him to score early in his career. Making any lasting conclusions about one game would be foolish, but going 5 of 13 in his debut doesn’t mean Bagley is off to a hot start.
More troubling is how Bagley’s lack of length showed up against Ayton and the rest of the Suns team. His lack of size forced him to initiate all of his offense from a face up position. Any ideas that Bagley might be able to score from the post were banished right away. He showed a quick first step, but it might not be fast enough to get him past quality NBA power forwards.
On the bright side, Bagley did rebound the ball well in his debut. That’s a skill that typically translates from college to the pros. Pulling down seven rebounds in 32 minutes isn’t going to remind anyone of Dennis Rodman, but he was active on the glass. Bagley also showed the ability to grab and go which should fit in nicely with the Kings’ uptempo system.
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Marvin Bagley has a long way to go before he’s ready to be a quality NBA starter. His latest injury isn’t going to help him achieve that goal this season. His Summer League debut wasn’t a complete disaster, but it certainly wasn’t the start Kings fans were looking for.