Marvin Bagley III Expected To Be Ready For Season Opener
Dec 2, 2020, 8:34 AM | Updated: 8:34 am
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Head coach Luke Walton expects the young forward to ‘be ready to go’ when the season begins this month
It’s been a rough start to Marvin Bagley III’s NBA career, as the 21-year-old has struggled to stay on the floor since being drafted with the second-overall pick in 2018.
After missing 20 games during his rookie season, Bagley only appeared in 13 games during the 2019-20 season due to an assortment of injuries.
Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton shared some updates on Bagley’s status during his training camp press conference conducted on Tuesday afternoon:
“It’s unfortunate that we only had him for (13) games last year because he is a very talented, exciting player. One of the things that I told him that I was most proud about with him and what I’m excited about, is he had some really tough breaks these past two seasons, and every time he does, he works extremely hard to get back.
His mindset is in a really good place right now and we are thrilled to see what we have with him this season.
And yes, I believe that he will be ready to go at the start of the season.”
Sacramento Kings head coach Luke Walton on Marvin Bagley III
Last season, Bagley was the starting power forward on opening night in Phoenix, posting a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) before he broke his right thumb in the closing minutes.
The injury would sideline him for nearly two months before he returned in December, posting 13.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game over eight contests before going down with a foot injury.
Bagley would miss another eight games, returning on January 15th to play in four more games until the injured foot caused him to miss the remainder of the season.
Due to the COVID-19 related league shutdown, there was hope that Bagley could play in the NBA bubble, where Sacramento was hoping to grab one of the final playoff spots.
During the initial days of team workouts, Bagley was reported to have gone down with another foot injury, effectively ending his season.
The 2020-21 season will be a crucial one for the Bagley-Kings marriage, as the team will need to decide on extending the forward a contract extension come next offseason.
Bagley’s role will be magnified this season, with the departures of Bogdan Bogdanovic, Harry Giles III and Kent Bazemore giving the young big more scoring opportunities in the offense.
Over two seasons in the NBA, Bagley has played in 75 games and holds career averages of 14.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 49-percent from the field.
