Marvin Bagley

[Duke4life831]

I'm sure Marques Bolden is quesitoning his decision to stay with Duke now

I would. He shouldve stuck with his decision to transfer at the end of the season. There are still minutes for him to grab but its going to be tough in my opinion. Carter is going to probably play 30 minutes a game and most of all of them are going to be at the 5. Bagley is going to play at least 30 a game and no doubt going to see some minutes at the 5 as well some games. Antonio Vrankovic was starting to get minutes over Bolden at the end of the year and Ive heard a ton of rumblings that Javin DeLaurier has made huge improvements with his shot and is probably going to see 5-10 minutes a game at the 4. If that is true and with Bagley and Carter for sure locked in to get a lot of minutes, it wont be hard to see Bolden only getting 10-12 minutes a game.

[akhan786]

I never liked Bolden since high school after I saw two of his games live at a tournament. His ranking was overrated simply because of his length and size, but the dude at times looked really awkward on the court. He would show flashes, but it was only after a few good plays went his way which shows that mentally he's a rollercoaster.

As a Duke fan, I understood why we recruited him because we were sorely in need of big men, but it was the least excited I've been with us nabbing a Top 20 player. Admittedly, I think my opinion is a tad biased because Bolden looks exactly like the darker-skinned version of this **** kid I grew up with, and even makes the same pouty expressions as him when things aren't going his way. I'll root for him if he actually shows he deserves to be playing for a Top 10 team, but I have a feeling that Bolden's days at Duke are numbered and that it may end in an annoying PR spat. He looked like absolute trash last year as I expected with really poor effort and body language, but I of course hope to be pleasantly surprised.

In terms of Bagley, I also don't think we'll see him at 3 very often because he hasn't proven he can shoot the 3 ball. He's essentially the perfect 4 in K's positionless system and will still get to practice getting a lot of shots up from 3, because we all know that nowadays he NEEDS to have that in his arsenal (crazy how quickly the game changes in just 5 years huh?). He's more Bucks Jabari Parker, than Jayson Tatum. Add in that he's 6'11 and is already considered an elite defensive prospect, this dude should be damn good. Another Duke comparison I would give (not just because they look alike) would be a 6'11 Justise Winslow.

Before we crown the Dukies as national champs, you have to remember that Duke was roughly in this same exact position last year. Although literally everything bad that could have happened, happened. Hopefully this year though we'll get some good karma for missing out on a healthy Harry Giles with a fully healthy team this year. However, I never trust young teams and recent track record shows that veteran teams are who eventually cut down the nets so for right now I'd say that it's a toss up between Duke, MSU, Arizona, Kentucky, and Kansas.

[azcatz11]

I feel like I say this every year, but Duke has no excuse to not win it all. They are the most talented in the country by far. It's disgusting.

They're not the most talented team "by far" and 19 year olds don't win championships. You need quality experienced players mixed in.

Their athleticism and rebounding in the frontcourt is unmatched though. I can't remember one like it. Towns and WCS weren't as dynamic as Bagley.

If we are talking about raw potential then ya I got Duke #1. But Michigan St and Zona both have plenty of talent with a mix of experience. Right now I think there are 3 top teams then a gap to the rest of the top 10.

I'd love to see a 2001 rematch! That would be an awesome amount of talent on the court.

If only we had a good PG

[Mulhollanddrive]

Heard he still has to pass a semester of online classes to classify.

I guess if you have $20m at stake you can figure a way to do that.

[kan_t]

I'm sure Marques Bolden is quesitoning his decision to stay with Duke now

People said the same about Kennard last year too. Injury happens and if he plays well in practice, Coach K will give him playing time. Coach K still likes to play veterans even though they get more and more one-and-done recruits.

[akhan786]

Heard he still has to pass a semester of online classes to classify.

I guess if you have $20m at stake you can figure a way to do that.

This process started quietly in early Spring and he's just about finished with the 2 online classes he needs to complete.

[KobesScarf]

Doesn't really belong in this thread but Minnesota is the biggest and most experienced team in the nation and if lil Pitino is any good they should be the team everyone fears

[Mulhollanddrive]

NCAA officially cleared him to play.

Excited to see how his handle creates offense for him at college level.

[jonjames]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

[Duke4life831]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Im cool with 16/6/2 on 6/10 shooting in just 23 minutes. This was also his first game and you could tell the team had a ton of rust/jitters for the first 5 minutes.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Saw a bit of a hitch with his wrist flick in his shooting motion.

Hopefully his handle still stands out at this level as that is his star maker.

Seemed to favour the post-up as his go to move so may be projected as a Center at NBA.

[Marcus]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

[Long2s]

See a bit of Kevin Garnett in him.

[jonjames]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

I dont see this incredible skill level ppl keep talking about. Like chris walker hes a great athlete that can run the floor like a deer and get putback dunks and chasedown blocks. When i watch him play he lacks great feel,and hes a tweener stuck between 4 and 5. Lacks outside shooting to be a stretch 4 doesnt have size strength or length to be a 5.Hes not this great rim protector. Hes 18 turning 19 very soon playing nervous against D2 competition meanwhile guys like tatum whos not much older than him is doing quite well as rookie against nba competition. Idk maybe im being harsh or overcritical but he smells like a future bust waiting to happen.

[sipclip]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

I dont see this incredible skill level ppl keep talking about. Like chris walker hes a great athlete that can run the floor like a deer and get putback dunks and chasedown blocks. When i watch him play he lacks great feel,and hes a tweener stuck between 4 and 5. Lacks outside shooting to be a stretch 4 doesnt have size strength or length to be a 5.Hes not this great rim protector. Hes 18 turning 19 very soon playing nervous against D2 competition meanwhile guys like tatum whos not much older than him is doing quite well as rookie against nba competition. Idk maybe im being harsh or overcritical but he smells like a future bust waiting to happen.

You are so far off it is not even funny. First off he is 18 and doesn't turn 19 until March. By no definition is that very soon. Also comparing him to a player like Chris Walker that is 208 pounds is stupid. Right now Bagley already has 30-40 pounds on him and he is only 18. Bagley is also taller and longer and when it comes to talking about skill level it isn't even a conversation. Bagley is a special player and basically everything you wrote about him is dead wrong.

[nolang1]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

I dont see this incredible skill level ppl keep talking about. Like chris walker hes a great athlete that can run the floor like a deer and get putback dunks and chasedown blocks. When i watch him play he lacks great feel,and hes a tweener stuck between 4 and 5. Lacks outside shooting to be a stretch 4 doesnt have size strength or length to be a 5.Hes not this great rim protector. Hes 18 turning 19 very soon playing nervous against D2 competition meanwhile guys like tatum whos not much older than him is doing quite well as rookie against nba competition. Idk maybe im being harsh or overcritical but he smells like a future bust waiting to happen.

At the very least his skill level is incredible compared to Chris Walker's, who in his college career spanning 49 games shot 37% on free throws, handed out only 3 assists (compared to 44 turnovers), and didn't make a single three-pointer. This goes to show that if you are that tall and athletic (and as the poster above me mentioned, Bagley is a considerably better athlete by virtue of being able to run and jump like Walker while being 1-2 inches taller and 30-40 pounds heavier) you would have to be a complete zero in every other aspect of the game to not work out as an NBA player. Even the 'better John Collins' hot take that was meant to denigrate Bagley is looking silly given that Collins is averaging 20 and 13 per 36 minutes to start his NBA career.

If Chris Walker were merely bad in terms of his shooting, passing, and basketball IQ he'd be in the midst of a very successful NBA career right now; instead he was a worse shooter than DeAndre Jordan ever was, a worse passer than Hassan Whiteside ever was, and weighed less than the average NBA 2 guard.

[Kolkmania]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

I dont see this incredible skill level ppl keep talking about. Like chris walker hes a great athlete that can run the floor like a deer and get putback dunks and chasedown blocks. When i watch him play he lacks great feel,and hes a tweener stuck between 4 and 5. Lacks outside shooting to be a stretch 4 doesnt have size strength or length to be a 5.Hes not this great rim protector. Hes 18 turning 19 very soon playing nervous against D2 competition meanwhile guys like tatum whos not much older than him is doing quite well as rookie against nba competition. Idk maybe im being harsh or overcritical but he smells like a future bust waiting to happen.

He has some ball handling skills in open court and he has a decent post game, but like you I question how good his skillset really is and will be. With his quick feet, willingness to protect the rim and ability to rebound he'll have big value on the defensive end, but not convinced about him on the offensive end. Poor decision making in, despite decent mechanics he has horrible shooting percentages and sloppy ball handling in the half court.

Let's see if he develops those areas in the coming months.

[XTraderXL]

I have watched Bagley play in a few HS games and now in his first college game. The difference in how he looks against HS kids and college kids is huge. Of course its only been one game but I expected him to look much better. I agree with Kolkmania, his ball handling is below average and his decision making was not good. Of course he will improve in those areas but for me a top recruit should not be looking like this in a game against this level of competition even though it was his first game.

[Marcus]

Didnt look too impressive in his preseason debut. Im sure he had jitters but watching him he does not strike me as a generational type talent.

Fwiw i compared him to chris walker as prospect way back.

Sooooooooo much more skilled than Chris Walker.

I dont see this incredible skill level ppl keep talking about. Like chris walker hes a great athlete that can run the floor like a deer and get putback dunks and chasedown blocks. When i watch him play he lacks great feel,and hes a tweener stuck between 4 and 5. Lacks outside shooting to be a stretch 4 doesnt have size strength or length to be a 5.Hes not this great rim protector. Hes 18 turning 19 very soon playing nervous against D2 competition meanwhile guys like tatum whos not much older than him is doing quite well as rookie against nba competition. Idk maybe im being harsh or overcritical but he smells like a future bust waiting to happen.

Whether it's an "incredible skill level" or not he's still better than the comp you slapped on him. Chris Walker was nothing more than a run and jump athlete who someone was trying to teach basketball because he was tall. There is a skillset in Bags, whether or not the increased level in comp takes away some of the dominance we've seen over the past few years is a different conversation. If that's the knock then by all means fire away because there is a argument to be had there. But Chris Walker is harsh. Walker had no business being on the court at any level past high school as he showed during his time at Florida. Bags isn't that. He will be an NBAer whether or not he warrants a top pick is a different convo but he does belong in the league.

He'll need to slow down and let more of the game come to him. He'll need to find a "role" on the floor and understand he isn't the only capable player on his team. If he does less he'll show more and that should be his focus. Definitely looked like nerve on the floor in that pre-season game. I expect him to look better as the year goes on and he settles in. He played like he felt the pressure to be great. He's on a stacked team with a bunch of kids that could make life very easy for him. As long as he understands that he'll be fine and should look like a top 5er by June.

[Derento]

Chris Walker probably the least skilled/feel player I've ever seen.
Bagley even if he's lacking something which is to be seen he's still good enough to dominate CBB.
He dominant in paint from what I've seen but we'll see the translation.
Him & Carter are duo I would love to see live