Kings claim victory in Marvin Bagley, Luka Doncic debate?: ‘We got the best player.’

The debate over Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley III will simmer in Sacramento for years to come. Someday maybe we’ll know for sure, but it certainly seemed like the Kings had chosen the right man for the job in a 116-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night at Golden 1 Center.

Bagley continued to show a tantalizing blend of power, speed, aggression and grace with eye-popping energy and athleticism. He dominated Doncic in every way in the first head-to-head matchup of their promising young careers, posting 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocked shots in 28 minutes off the bench.

Doncic, the leading candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year, was clearly fatigued on the second night of a back-to-back near the end of his first season. He had 13 points and 10 rebounds but struggled mightily with his shot, making just 4 of 19 field-goal attempts and 2 of 10 from beyond the arc.

Kings coach Dave Joerger took a strong stance when asked to weigh in over which player the Kings should have selected with the second overall pick in last summer’s draft. Joerger said that Bagley isn’t just a better fit for the team’s new up-tempo game, he’s is just a better player.

“I think you look (at) — especially high picks — to me, just take the best player you can get, and I think we got the best player,” Joerger said. “I just think the sky’s the limit for Marvin, and I don’t know how high Luka’s (ceiling) is. I think he’s had a terrific season. I’ve enjoyed watching him, (but) we’re fired up about our guy. You talk about just scraping the tip of what he can do talent-wise. I think it’s going to be really fun to be around him for a long, long time.”

Not if you’re trying to guard the guy. Bagley has been virtually unstoppable around the basket lately, making face-up jumpers along the baseline and sweeping hooks across the lane. Apparently he’s hitting step-back 3-pointers now, too, something we weren’t seeing just a few weeks ago.

He made 11 of his first 12 shots and finished with 28 points in Tuesday’s loss to the Brooklyn Nets. He was 5 of 7 from 3-point range over the past two games.

“Sometimes you don’t even call a play for him,” Kings guard Buddy Hield said. “... It’s just all energy plays, and he has that incredible leap to score over everybody, and when he’s making 3s, he’s a tough guard.”

There’s no telling what Bagley will do when the Kings conclude their four-game home stand against the Phoenix Suns at 7 p.m. Saturday. Last time he faced the Suns with an opportunity to prove something against No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton, Bagley put up a career-high 32 points and seven rebounds.

“He’s a special talent,” Hield said. “He’s just going to keep growing and growing better. He’s still not to his potential.”

The Kings sparked a summer of angst and unrest among some of their fans when they passed on Doncic to select Bagley with the second pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. The buzz around that pick was unlike anything Sacramento had experienced since the Kings were a perennial playoff team over a decade ago.

The excitement built for weeks after the Kings moved up in the lottery for the second year in a row to secure the No. 2 pick. Thousands showed up at the Golden 1 Center draft party sporting Kings apparel. A downtrodden fan base had energy, life and hope.

Then the Kings picked Bagley instead of Doncic and some people freaked out. Many at the draft party cheered Bagley’s name, but some booed and others remained silent, refusing to shout down the pick no matter how much they disapproved of the decision.

Luka looked like one of those rare, generational talents and Bagley looked a little raw, and this organization could not afford to make a mistake. It was a legitimate, important, exhausting debate that will linger long after today. Some will probably circle back to this when the Kings face the Mavericks again Tuesday in Dallas, but Bagley’s remarkable growth this season has assuaged most concerns about his game.

One popular website declared Bagley a “huge draft bust” in an article dated July 5, 2018. That was 14 whole days after Bagley was drafted.

The skepticism was driven by valid concerns about his game and a few alarming summer league performances. Bagley looked tentative against lesser competition after some of his limitations were exploited, but he isn’t tentative anymore.

He’s big. He’s fast. He’s strong. He’s quick on his toes and fast to get off his feet.

“Bagley is terrific,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “He’s much improved, shooting the 3 consistently, so he’s a big problem.”

You know who might have an interesting perspective on the Luka/Bagley debate? Former Kings small forward Justin Jackson, who was traded to the Mavericks in early February.

“Man, you can’t ask me that question,” Jackson said with a laugh.

How about this one: Is it possible both teams got the right guy?

“I think that’s the perfect way to put it,” Jackson said. “The Kings getting Marvin was absolutely perfect for them. For the Mavs, getting Luka was perfect for them. They have both been the Rookie of the Year for their teams.”

That’s how I see it, too.

Could a ball-dominant player like Doncic coexist with Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox? Could the Kings have unleashed this run-and-gun game on the league?

We might not ever know for sure, but right now it’s hard to imagine anyone being a better fit than Bagley.