Marvin Bagley III Doesn’t Need To Worry About Being Better Than Deandre Ayton


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In advance of the 2018 NBA Draft, there was plenty of debate. It became clear very early in the process that the Phoenix Suns centered on Arizona big man Deandre Ayton with the No. 1 pick but, in the age of debate, that didn’t slow anyone down in arguing in favor of other players for the top spot.

Luka Doncic, now a member of the Dallas Mavericks by way of a trade with the Atlanta Hawks was perhaps the player most frequently placed in the top spot by scouts, but Duke big man Marvin Bagley III wasn’t far behind in the eyes of many. In fact, Bagley III landed with the Sacramento Kings with the No. 2 overall selection and, while not everyone loved that choice, it is easy to see the upside with the youngster.

This week, though, Bagley garnered some notoriety in saying plainly that he believes he’s better than Ayton.

“I would say myself,” Bagley said to Reid Forgrave of CBS Sports. “Obviously I have confidence in my game. I love Deandre like a brother, but, I’m gonna have to go with myself. I think I’m the better player.”

It has to be said that this doesn’t matter. Most — if not all — top prospects enter the league with overflowing confidence and many of them would say something similar on the record when promoted. It is noteworthy to some degree that Bagley answered the question directly but, in terms of overall importance, there is very little here.

Still, it is an interesting jumping off point for a different discussion: Bagley shouldn’t need to compare himself to Ayton in the first place. The two are very different players, especially at this juncture. Ayton fitting the mold as a more traditional center that is likely to stuff the stat sheet with double-doubles and use his physically mature frame to make an impact early in his career. Bagley, on the other hand, is a prospect with more raw tendencies, as he is blessed with incredible athleticism and offensive upside, but with challenges on the defensive end and a bit of a more challenging fit in terms of NBA role.

The debate will rage for some time as to who the best player in the class will be and, frankly, it may not be Ayton, Doncic or even Bagley when all is said and done. Still, Bagley has a long way to go in terms of putting together his overall package of skills, and that is of greater concern at the moment.

In terms of development, Bagley must become a better defensive player, particularly in the area of awareness and positioning. As he gains strength, Bagley should be able to stand up against more physical play in the NBA in the future. But he didn’t display much in the way of acumen at the college level and, at the moment, it is perhaps his biggest weakness. On the offensive end, Bagley has raw tools that would make anyone salivate, but he is incredibly left-hand dominant at this juncture and, while he may not be done any favors by the Kings, there is buzz that he may operate at the small forward spot at times during his first season.

That, of course, would be a mistake but Bagley also doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of what NBA teams are looking for at the power forward spot right now. Players of his size are generally assigned to the center position and, while there are certainly exceptions, he must be able to defend on the perimeter and develop his jump shot in order to fit snugly into a full-time power forward role in the future.

In the grand scheme, Bagley and Ayton will continue to operate as different players, but that won’t stop anyone from arguing on both sides. Hopefully for his sake, though, Bagley will move away from the direct comparisons and simply continue to develop the skills that he will need as he attempts to live up to the considerable billing associated with the No. 2 overall pick in what was a loaded NBA Draft.

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