Sacramento Kings: 3 big questions heading into 2019-20

3. How will Marvin Bagley respond to a larger role?

A major reason for the firing of Dave Joerger was his lack of faith in the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Marvin Bagley III. Nemanja Bjelica being in the starting spot for 70 games on the season did not please the front office who had conflicting views with their head coach. Now, with Luke Walton at the helm, expect Bagley to get plenty more run with the other top players on the roster.

Bagley played 54 percent of his possessions with Buddy on the floor and 48 percent of possessions with Fox last year, per Cleaning The Glass. Expect those numbers to take a significant jump. We saw him closing lineups towards the end of the season, and that is likely to be the case from the launch of the 2019-20 season.

The pace Bagley plays with paired with being able to put the ball on the floor after a board fits seamlessly with the identity of speed in transition that revolves around De’Aaron and Buddy.

It’s clear as day that Fox is the current and future leader of the franchise, but Bagley has the highest ceiling and capabilities to be the number one scorer as soon as next season. There is plenty of fine-tuning that needs to take place for him to reach his potential, but the athleticism and flashes he has shown has Sacramento’s front office, coaching staff and fan base rightfully optimistic.

Hopefully, MBIII will come into his own and find his role among the talented roster. Don’t expect an All-Star next season, but trending in the right direction is all that will be asked of him. A larger role should aid in Bagley doing so.