Final Word
Marvin Bagley III is going to be a productive player in the league. He works too hard on the glass and has too much offensive talent not to put up some gaudy numbers. That is something teams will weigh when they draft him because he is that good and active.
The question will be what happens with him on the defensive end. Can he turn that athleticism into a smarter defensive player? If he can, he might very well be the best player in this Draft. Certainly an easy top three player in this draft class.
Bagley is that talented. His leaping ability and offensive drive are things everyone should envy. It will help him generate raw production in the NBA. This is a guy who will score points and score a lot of them in the NBA.
The question for him and for any team taking him this high in the draft is to ask whether that offensive production is something you can build an entire offense around. . . and can cover for his lack of defensive awareness. With his raw talent, maybe there is hope he can learn defense even though he rarely showed that aptitude in college.
Still, it feels like Bagley is a bit of a dinosaur if he is to play the power forward position. His game has a lot of old soul to it. That is not a bad thing. That style still has at least a little bit of value. Especially if he can create his own value as a strong offensive rebounder.
Bagley will have to develop that outside shot to thrive at that position. Becoming something like a Joel Embiid there — as a big who can play both inside and out.
But what makes Embiid truly great is his strong defensive ability. Bagley will not make that impact on the defensive end. And his lack of size and build may keep him from transitioning to center.
Bagley is clearly a very talented player. One of the most talented in this draft. Selecting him is bringing in a guy who will work the offensive glass tirelessly and score and score and score.
Next: NBA Draft Preview: Who is Josh Okogie?
The question remains whether he can do the other things necessary to impact a game and be a true centerpiece star.