Future Watch: Marvin Bagley III Rookie Basketball Cards, Kings
In a loaded Western Conference, the only thing the Sacramento Kings can really do is load up on young talent and wait for the powerhouse teams to slowly dismantle. The team is still a few years away from relevance, but their young core is starting to excite fans in Northern California. The team’s 2018 first round pick, Marvin Bagley III, has been a key contributor during their current four game winning streak.
Bagley was born in Tempe, Arizona. He spent his first two years as a prep playing for Corona del Sol High School and Hillcrest Prep. Both in the Phoenix area. At Hillcrest Prep, he was teammates with 2018 first overall pick Deandre Ayton. He would transfer to Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth, California for his final year as a prep. In his senior season, he averaged 24.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. That year, he was named to the All-USA Today First-Team for 2017.
Scout, Rivals, 247Sports and ESPN all ranked Bagley as a five-star recruit. His transfer to Sierra Canyon resulted in some classification issues in regards to his high school class. Initially, he was considered to be part of the 2018 class, but he was able to reclassify to 2017. Bagley would graduate from Sierra Canyon and joined the Duke basketball team for the 2017-18 season.
Bagley made his Blue Devils debut on November 10th, 2017 and scored 25 points with 10 rebounds in a win over Elon University. In 33 games, he averaged 21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. Bagley recorded a number of 30-point games and would set the ACC record for most 30-point, 10 rebound games in a season. At the end of the regular season, he was named ACC Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and became a member of the All-ACC First Team. He was also named to the All-American First Team. After Duke’s Elite Eight loss in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, Bagley declared himself eligible for the 2018 NBA Draft.
Heading into the draft with a very deep class, Bagley was viewed as a surefire top-5 pick. Listed at 6’11” with a 234-pound frame, he has great size for a modern NBA big. He was an offensive focal 
point for Duke, playing both power forward and center. Most of his baskets came in the post or as a finisher at the rim. He did shoot 39.7% from behind the arc in college, although many scouts felt he would need to put in more work shooting from deep. On draft night, Sacramento selected Marvin Bagley III with the second overall pick.
The Kings are off to a 5-3 start this season, and Bagley has been a solid contributor. He’s fifth on the team in points per game with 12.4. He’s also averaging 7.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks over 23.3 minutes. It’s a limited sample, but he’s shot pretty well from deep. Over his last five games he’s 5-for-6 from behind the arc.
It’s easy to say the Kings are overachieving to start the year. Their 5-3 record is good for the eighth seed in the west. Chances are they won’t be in that spot for much of the season and they’ll be looking at another lottery pick in next year’s draft. Still, the foundation is starting to take shape. De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield and Bagley form a core that can excite Kings fans and collectors as they work their way back to prominence.
Collectors can find Marvin Bagley’s rookie cards in 2018-19 Panini Basketball products. He appears in his Duke uniform in Contenders Draft Picks Collegiate. His first cards featuring him in a Kings uniform are out NOW in 2018-19 Hoops. Look for ON-CARD “Next Day” autographs of him in 2018-19 Donruss NBA.
Follow him on Twitter @MB3FIVE.
Marvin Bagley was a guest of Panini’s at their 2018 Rookie Photoshoot. Our own Russ Cohen was on the scene to cover the event. Check out their interview including a gallery of his current rookie cards below.
Future Watch: Marvin Bagley III Rookie Basketball Cards, Kings – Stats
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG | FGA | FG% | 3P | 3PA | 3P% | 2P | 2PA | 2P% | eFG% | FT | FTA | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 19 | SAC | NBA | PF | 8 | 0 | 23.3 | 4.9 | 9.1 | .534 | 0.6 | 1.1 | .556 | 4.3 | 8.0 | .531 | .568 | 2.0 | 3.6 | .552 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 12.4 |
| Career | NBA | 8 | 0 | 23.3 | 4.9 | 9.1 | .534 | 0.6 | 1.1 | .556 | 4.3 | 8.0 | .531 | .568 | 2.0 | 3.6 | .552 | 2.9 | 4.3 | 7.1 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 12.4 |
Future Watch: Marvin Bagley III Rookie Basketball Cards, Kings – More Resources
Future Watch: Marvin Bagley III Rookie Basketball Cards, Kings – Image Gallery
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