Sacramento Kings: Marvin Bagley III faces high expectations
Sacramento Kings rookie Marvin Bagley III faces expectations unlike any other rookie in franchise history.
As the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Marvin Bagley III is not just the highest pick selected by the Sacramento Kings since 1989, he’s also the rookie with arguably the highest expectations in franchise history.
That’s partly because Bagley comes in at a critical time in the Kings history. The rookie from Duke is not only joining a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs in 12 years, but also joining a fanbase that’s tired of being told to be patient.
Although Bagley’s potential has been well-documented, Kings fans no longer want to hear about potential. Jason Thompson had potential. Jimmer Fredette had potential. Thomas Robinson had potential. Tyreke Evans had potential. So did many others.
Bagley will need to show quickly that he has more than potential.
This doesn’t mean he has to be an All-Star in his rookie year. It doesn’t mean he has to be among the league leaders in stats. Bagley, however, must give Kings fans reason to believe that he will be a franchise player.
We’ve seen rookies come into the NBA and quickly establish themselves as stars. That was definitely the case last season when Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and Ben Simmons had a breakout rookie season. Bagley needs to have a similar impact to quench Kings fans’ thirst.
It’s no longer enough for the Kings organization to feed moral victories to the fans. Fans may no longer be patient enough to see if Bagley will make an impact in three or four years. The time to produce is now.
Aside from impatient fans, a lot of jobs in the Kings organization are relying on an immediate impact from Bagley.
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General manager Vlade Divac, after making the DeMarcus Cousins trade in 2017, said he would step down in two years if he doesn’t fix the Kings. If Bagley takes too long to develop, Divac may have to uphold his promise. Or he might have to leave involuntarily.
Head coach Dave Joerger’s seat, which has been secure up to this point, could also get hotter if Bagley doesn’t help Sacramento improve. Besides his job security, Joerger’s health and reputation certainly can’t handle any more losing.
Bagley is the key to helping Joerger have fun again and regain the success he had as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies.
The question is whether or not Joerger resorts to his old tactic of playing vets over rookies. Will Joerger see Bagley as a rookie who can produce right away? Or will it be a heavy dose of Zach Randolph for most of the season again?
While Bagley tries to live up to expectations in Sacramento, Kings fans will be keeping a close eye on Luka Doncic in Dallas. Doncic, the guy who was most coveted by Kings fans, will be measured against Bagley for years to come.
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If Doncic outperforms Bagley, anxiety in Sacramento will get higher and higher. The critics will get louder and louder. It seems unfair to put so much pressure on a rookie, but it’s up to Marvin Bagley III to shatter these expectations and help resuscitate a struggling franchise.