Why Marvin Bagley III should be among Kings players competing on a national stage

Chances are, unless you’re a Kings fan or have NBA League Pass, you probably haven’t seen much of Marvin Bagley III.

National audiences could get a look at the rookie in a showcase event next month.

Bagley, fresh off his first NBA start, should be among the candidates for the Mtn Dew Ice Rising Stars, a game that takes 20 of the NBA’s top rookies and second-year stars and splits them into two teams, one representing the United States and the other comprised of foreign-born players.

“I’d be excited. It would be cool to be able to experience that,” Bagley said about the possibility of being chosen, adding it would also give him a chance to compete with and against players from his AAU days and his time at Duke.

The game takes place in Charlotte, N.C., a little more than two hours southwest of Durham, where Bagley spent one season in college before becoming the No. 2 overall pick in June’s NBA draft.

Bagley is averaging 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds in 34 games. Injuries kept him sidelined for 14 contests. He’s sixth among rookies in scoring and fourth in rebounding.

The Kings (24-24) have only been on national TV four times in the regular season, three on NBA TV and one on TNT, so there hasn’t been much exposure outside the Sacramento market.

Bagley made his first start Tuesday in the Kings’ 120-105 loss to the host Toronto Raptors. He scored a career-high 22 points and had 11 rebounds for his sixth double-double.

“I love playing and being out there,” he said. “I’ll do whatever I can to help the team win. We came up short, but every game I try and come out and play like it’s my last game.”

Bagley was the first Kings player in more than nine years to score at least 20 points in his first start; Omri Casspi scored 22 against Washington on Dec. 16, 2009. Even more impressive, Bagley is the franchise’s first player with a 20-point, 10-rebound first start since Mike Ratliff went for 20 points and 19 rebounds against Portland on Nov. 29, 1972.

Bagley wasn’t born yet. He turns 20 in March.

His coach is excited about his potential.

“I’m really impressed with what he’s done with his game,” Kings coach Dave Joerger said. “The sky is the limit for Marvin. He’s going to be a heck of a player for us.”

If Bagley is selected for the All-Star Weekend game, it could be the second consecutive year the Kings send three players to the event.

“That would be big-time for us. That goes to show what we have here,” Bagley said. “I’m excited about our future, and if I get a chance to be in the same event as them, that would be great.”

The team’s leading scorers this season – Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic – appeared last year at Staples Center, with Bogdanovic named the game’s MVP. The Serbian guard came off the bench and scored 26 points, including 7 of 13 on 3-pointers, in a 155-124 victory over the U.S. Team.

Hield also shined for the World. The Bahamas native scored a team-high 29 points.

Fox was an injury replacement for Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball. He had four points, two rebounds and two assists in 16 minutes for the U.S. Team.

Bogdanovic and Fox are expected to make this year’s game. Hield isn’t eligible, as he’s in his third season.

Even if he’s not selected, Bagley is happy with his rookie season so far.

“I love it,” Bagley said. “I won’t say everything has gone smooth. I’ve had some ups and downs with the injuries and just figuring out how to take care of my body. ... It’s the best job in the world to do something that you actually like doing.”

Bagley would be the 14th King to make the rosters. Past players to represent Sacramento include 2009-10 Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans, who was the event’s co-MVP in 2010; DeMarcus Cousins, who played in the 2010 and ’11 games; and Michael “Yogi” Stewart, a 1993 Kennedy High School graduate who played in the 1998 contest.

The rosters are voted on by NBA assistant coaches. It’s unclear when the players for this year’s game will be announced, but last season the word came less than a week after the NBA All-Star Game starters were released. For this year’s main game Feb. 17, the starters were announced Thursday.

The Mtn Dew Ice Rising Stars game tips off at Spectrum Center on Feb. 15 at 6 p.m. on TNT.

Young Kings on the big stage

Here’s a full list of Kings players who have made a Rising Stars roster. It was known as the Rookie Challenge when created in 1994, but because the 1999 event was canceled due to the NBA lockout which shortened the season, second-year players were added to the mix when the game was reinstated.

2018 – Bogdan Bogdanovic, De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield

2013 – Isaiah Thomas

2012 – DeMarcus Cousins

2011 – DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans

2010 – Omri Casspi, Tyreke Evans

2002 – Hedo Turkoglu

2000 – Jason Williams

1998 – Michael “Yogi” Stewart

1996 – Tyus Edney

1995 – Brian Grant, Michael Smith

This story was originally published January 24, 2019 at 5:05 PM.