Trade & FA 2023-24: Stein-Ingram Trade Inevitable| LAL Want Lebron Back On Any Terms

[ItsGoTime]

Lot’s of people missed on Bagley…no shame there.  All of the negatives he has shown in the NBA we’re highlighted before the draft.  What’s interesting is that he hasn’t seemed to improve in any of those areas.

Here is a pre draft article I read some time back.  I don’t know anything about the writer other than he seems to have nailed the worst case scenario of how his deficiencies might manifest in the NBA.  FWIW, he also missed on his Bagley/NBA success projection.

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/nba-d...vin-bagley

There is a part of me that wonders if Bagley can still be developed.  He has value on the offensive end now, it’s the defense that is the big issue.  When you consider how he was developed in his younger years, including his fathers role, coupled with going to a Duke team that had to play zone due to poor team defense, and then being stuck on crappy Sac. & Det teams, I wonder, as the writer suggests, if he never learned good defense.  

If you could just make him an average or slightly above defender, I think he could be a solid 4 and situational 5.  I’m not sure the Mav’s are best prepared for that based on recent history but unless it’s an issue between the ears, he has the tools.  I don’t see why his weaknesses can’t be coached up with heavy repetition and some specialized attention if in fact his deficiencies are heavily influenced by his poor early development.

Might be the same things that were taught to him since being in the NBA too, even in the exact same way. Sometimes people aren’t ready to learn what is being taught.