» BAGLEY SHRUGS OFF DONCIC COMPARISONS
MIAMI — Marvin Bagley III is going to make a lot of people sorry.
Some will always be sorry the Sacramento Kings drafted Bagley instead of Luka Doncic when they had the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Others will be sorry they joined a faction of that crowd in subjecting Bagley to the kind of ridicule that can drive players away and change the reputation of a fan base that has loved this team faithfully for 35 years.
You’re sick of the ineptitude after 13 consecutive losing seasons? Join the club.
You want Bagley to set better screens? Fine. You want him to work on his defensive awareness and become a more willing passer? That’s fair, too. But if you’re going to shoot him a direct message using words we won’t repeat to say he never should have been born, as Bagley’s father recently revealed on Instagram, you are a disgusting, despicable human being and the world would be a better place without you.
“People are gonna say what they want to say,” Bagley said. “Just keep that same energy. That’s my go-to. Once things start to come around, or I start putting up these good games, don’t change positions. Stay with what you said from the jump. You want to rock with me or continue to not rock with me, that’s your opinion, but keep that same energy.”
Bagley shows spark in loss to Heat
Bagley brought that energy in a 118-113 overtime loss to the Miami Heat on Monday night at American Airlines Arena in Miami. He soared high above the floor, throwing down alley-oop dunks and snatching rebounds out of the sky. He put up 15 points, 15 rebounds and two assists, making play after play to give the Kings a chance to beat a team that has lost only once on its home court this season.
The Heat has flummoxed opponents with its 2-3 zone defense, but not Bagley. The 6foot-11 center ran the floor with agility, power and grace. He got to the rim. He passed — yes, passed! — to open shooters, helping the Kings launch 51 3-point attempts in one of the best zone-busting efforts Miami’s broadcast crew has seen this season.
“I thought he was really good — the way he was keeping balls alive for us,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “It’s a tough game because they play zone the whole time, so a lot of the things we normally run aren’t available, and for him that meant a lot of sacrificing, playing below the defense in the dunker area and looking to attack the glass and looking for dropoff passes. He stayed committed to that and I thought he gave a winning effort tonight. It’s unfortunate it didn’t turn into a win for us.”
Did you see him? Were you watching? Some Kings fans have tuned them out after injuries to Bagley, De’Aaron Fox, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Richaun Holmes contributed to a terribly disappointing first half of the season, but if you aren’t watching now, you’re missing an important stage in the development of a 20-year-old big man with All-Star potential.
Injuries have limited Bagley to 75 games in two seasons with the Kings. There was also the matter of his uneasy relationship with former coach Dave Joerger. According to league sources, Joerger didn’t lobby general manager Vlade Divac to pick Doncic instead of Bagley leading up to the draft, but Joerger made his feelings known over the course of a season that ended with his dismissal.
All of this has hindered Bagley’s growth, but he appears to be experiencing a growth spurt since returning from a sprained left foot. In the past four games, he has averaged 15.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocked shots.
‘He had his best game’
“He continues to get better game-in and game-out since he’s been back,” Fox said following Monday’s game. “Obviously we look at him as a post presence and a shot-blocking presence. He got big rebounds tonight, so I think he’s continuing to get better.”
Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica agreed with that assessment, saying Bagley’s communication and defensive rotations are much improved.
“I think he had his best game,” Bjelica said. “If he impacts the game like he did tonight, he will be great and perfect for this team. He just needs to be consistent, but he’s improving and learning.”
We saw flashes of Bagley’s potential between injury absences during his rookie season. He had 24 points and 12 rebounds in a game against the San Antonio Spurs. He poured in a career-high 32 points against the Phoenix Suns. He had 28 points and 14 rebounds against the Golden State Warriors.
Bagley averaged 18.6 points and 9.5 rebounds over his final 13 games last season. Now, after missing 30 of Sacramento’s first 39 games this season, it looks like he’s rediscovering that same energy.
He’s learning. He’s growing. He’s getting better. Just watch.
Bagley is never going to be Luka Doncic. He’s going to be himself, no matter what anyone says.
“They’re not changing who I am as a person at the end of the day,” Bagley said. “What they say won’t make me a different person. You’ve got some fair-weather people who are going to rock with you when you’re playing well. When you’re not playing well, they’re going to go the other way and jump ship. I understand that. That’s what we signed up for . ... At the end of the day, no matter what, they won’t change who I am.”