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2018 Orlando Magic NBA Draft Preview: Marvin Bagley’s promise and struggle

By Philip Rossman-Reich

DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 30: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after dunking against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NC - DECEMBER 30: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after dunking against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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Marvin Bagley III, Duke Blue Devils
DURHAM, NC – DECEMBER 30: Marvin Bagley III #35 of the Duke Blue Devils reacts after dunking against the Florida State Seminoles during their game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

Marvin Bagley III may be one of the most talented and athletic players in this draft. But he struggled in some areas the NBA seems to require of its bigs.

Marvin Bagley III’s work around the basket is hard to miss. He is a workhorse, hustling for rebounds and using his athleticism to work around and get putbacks. With the ball in his hands, he is fluid and attacks with patience and aggression.

Marvin Bagley III’s work around the basket is hard to miss. In fact, most of the time it is Bagley who is missing. He struggles to use his athleticism to keep players in front of him, giving up easy lanes to the basket. He does not put forth a lot of effort on the block, getting easily muscled around.

The Duke Blue Devils turned to a zone defense in part to hide him and his deficiencies in man-to-man play. But teams still sought to attack him, getting him sucked out in pick and rolls and gleefully taking on the space. Duke did not have great defensive guards either, but Bagley was not exactly a deterrent. That would be his teammate Wendell Carter Jr.

And so Bagley brings a major question to whatever team drafts him. Can his supreme offensive skill and work with the ball in his hand cover up for his defensive shortcomings? And can this seemingly traditional power forward survive in a world that is getting smaller around the league?

Bagley can produce. And like any great scorer with his athleticism, he will put up points. That part comes easily to him. He averaged 21.0 points and 11.1 rebounds per game last year. He shot 61.4 percent from the floor, a solid number for someone playing largely so close to the basket.

At 6-foot-11, Bagley possesses great athleticism. He may be the best athlete in the entire Draft. It makes the other parts of his game and his shortcomings as a defender all the more disappointing. He seems like he should have the complete package.

But he lacks that one thing everyone in the league wants — positional versatility. And then lacks that thing everyone wants to see from the post positions especially — rim protection. Are his other skills enough to cover?