Sacramento Kings: 3 players with something to prove in Orlando
3. Marvin Bagley
The player with the most to prove is undoubtedly Marvin Bagley.
As time passes, and we get further and further away from the 2018 NBA Draft, the Sacramento Kings look more and more foolish for the decision that they made that evening. Instead of selecting Luka Doncic like most people thought they should, they chose Bagley.
Not only has Doncic become a young phenomenon who has taken the league by storm, but Bagley has struggled to even remain on the court. After an above-average rookie season in which we saw flashes of his talent, the second-year big man has played in just 13 contests this season after dealing with multiple foot injuries as well as a fractured thumb.
He hasn’t been much better when he’s been healthy, either. Despite a slight uptick in minutes, Bagley’s numbers dipped across the board, most noticeably in his shooting percentages. He didn’t make the team any better, either. The Kings posted an offensive rating differential of -14.0 when Bagley was on the court, by far the worst of any player on the current roster.
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The Kings are in a tough spot with their frontcourt. Bagley is obviously the piece that they wish would work out the most, given the capital that they spent to acquire him. But there are a handful of other centers and forwards who have proved their worth in Sacramento. Richaun Holmes has been a revelation and has all but solidified the starting center spot, and Alex Len quickly became a fan favorite with his size and hustle after the trade deadline.
Bagley needs to find his footing over the final eight regular season games. He has had plenty of time to rehab his injuries and based on his and his father’s Instagram posts, he looks to be no worse for wear. If he can be a catalyst on a team that at least puts up a strong fight for the final playoff spot, then Bagley could potentially get back in the good graces of the fan base.
It won’t be easy. There are rotational issues that the coaching staff will have to navigate through, and there are other players who have proved that they mesh well with the current group of guys.
Bagley’s future in Sacramento may very well ride on these final few games and his offseason program.