Marvin Bagley III, Kings Stay Hot in Blowout Win over Trae Young, Hawks
The Sacramento Kings continued their surprising hot streak with a 146-115 road win over the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night at State Farm Arena.
De'Aaron Fox posted his first triple-double with 31 points, 10 rebounds and a career-high 15 assists to help the Kings win their fifth straight game, as they improved to 6-3.
Marvin Bagley III also won the battle of top-five draft picks with 18 points and five rebounds, while Trae Young finished with 14 points, 10 assists and eight turnovers in the loss.
Trae Young's Inconsistency Will Lead to Roller-Coaster Rookie Year
Even as a rookie, Trae Young has been a must-watch player thanks to the ability to light up the scoreboard with highlight-reel shooting, dribbling and passing. He was considered the Stephen Curry of college basketball last year and has taken that to the NBA.
The biggest difference between him and Curry, however, is that the two-time MVP rarely has off nights.
The No. 5 overall draft pick has been dominant in his two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, which includes his 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting Tuesday. While there were flashes of great play against the Kings, he also had plenty of head-scratching moments.
His first assist showed great court vision as he went behind his back to find Vince Carter:
A few minutes later, he got greedy while trying to go between Fox's legs:
This was one of Young's eight turnovers, which included five giveaways in the first quarter. He couldn't find much breathing room as the 6'3" Fox's length prevented open looks, though he tried to make up for it with 10 assists.
It would be an understandable stat line if this were just one sloppy game, but this is what we have come to expect from Young. It's the reason he didn't go higher in the draft despite a historic freshman season at Oklahoma.
Until he learns how to utilize his talent, there will be many more bad games. Atlanta fans will just have to go along for the ride and not overreact to either his good or poor nights.
Marvin Bagley III Should Remain on Bench as Starters Exceed Expectations
This season is in its early stages, but the Kings have been one of its most pleasant surprises. Not only does the team continue to win, but the core young players are living up to their draft spots.
Fox, 2017's No. 5 pick, has been on fire, and he came through with one of the best games of his career Thursday, including double-digit assists in the first half:
He and Buddy Hield (27 points) have looked like the backcourt of the future Kings fans have been hoping for.
Bagley had one of his best games against the Hawks, scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He was especially impressive while running the floor to score on fast breaks:
This is all part of his development, and his bench role helps that.
He gets plenty of chances to play with the starters, and Fox feeds him easy opportunities while he's out there. But Bagley can also spend time with the second unit as he works on creating opportunities for himself.
Averaging more than 20 minutes per game, Bagley isn't suffering from a lack of playing time. It's just not necessary to rush him into the starting lineup, where the pressure could rise and the touches may decrease as he has to share the rock.
Perhaps more importantly, there isn't a spot for him with the way the frontcourt starters are playing.
Willie Cauley-Stein was quiet in this game but remained efficient and is much better at defending the pick-and-roll than Bagley. Nemanja Bjelica helps spread the floor with his outside shooting and entered the day leading the team with a 7.4 box plus/minus (more than three times better than any teammate), per Basketball Reference.
They add things Bagley can't provide.
It's understandable to be excited about the No. 2 pick's solid play, but giving him time to develop will help the Kings both now and later.
What's Next?
The Kings will complete their four-game road trip Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks, who entered Thursday as the last undefeated team in the NBA. The Hawks will remain home for a battle against the Miami Heat Saturday.
