Kings forward Marvin Bagley III making preseason debut vs. Warriors after COVID-19 case
Marvin Bagley III will suit for the first time since January when the Kings play the Golden State Warriors in a preseason game Tuesday night at Golden 1 Center.
Kings coach Luke Walton said Bagley will start at power forward and will be limited to 15 minutes in his preseason debut. Bagley missed the start of training camp after contracting the coronavirus in Arizona.
Bagley has not played since January 20, when he posted 15 points and 15 rebounds in an overtime loss to the Miami Heat. He appeared in only 13 games last season due to thumb and foot injuries.
“He hasn’t played basketball in a long time — NBA basketball — so I know he’s excited,” Walton said. “I just want to see him up and down that court. I want to see him flying around. I told him I don’t care about mistakes. Don’t get caught up trying to memorize everything we’re running. Play free and have fun.”
During a Zoom session with reporters last week, Bagley confirmed he missed a few days of individual workouts in Sacramento after testing positive for COVID-19 in Arizona before training camp began. He said he experienced symptoms for three or four days.
Bagley participated in individual workouts last week and joined team workouts Monday after missing the first two preseason games against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Bagley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, said shooting and playmaking were focal points for him in offseason workouts. He is looking to bounce back after an injury riddled sophomore season. Walton says he likes what he has seen when Bagley has been able to get on the floor.
“Every time we’ve had Marvin and he’s been healthy, there’s a lot to be excited about since I’ve been here,” Walton said. “And I know that was only for (13) games, so a lot of what I’m going off is what I see him doing in drills and practice and whatnot, but his shot looks better and he’s motivated from coming out of another disappointing injury in the bubble. He wants to get on that court and go, so it’s exciting (to think about) the possibility of what he can help our team do.”
This story was originally published December 15, 2020 at 5:54 PM.
