Kings mailbag: Is Marvin Bagley really back? What now and what’s up with Harry Giles?
Well, Luka that. The Kings are coming off two big wins over the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets as they return to Sacramento to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday and the New York Knicks on Friday at Golden 1 Center.
Big man Marvin Bagley III is expected to return to the floor and the Kings (10-13) have a chance to get on a bit of a roll if they can beat the Thunder (11-12) and Knicks (4-20). Sacramento will go back on the road for games against the Golden State Warriors, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies, but those are winnable, too.
The Kings had lost five of six before they went into Dallas and Houston to do a defensive number on MVP candidates Luka Doncic and James Harden, but now they have a stronger pulse and people have questions in this week’s mailbag.
@Mark_J0se asks: Is Bagley a go?
Bagley, who has missed 22 games with a broken thumb, was listed as probable going into Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma City. This is a significant change in his status after he was listed as doubtful for Friday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs and questionable against the Mavericks and Rockets. If the Kings weren’t fairly sure Bagley would play against the Thunder, they wouldn’t have upgraded his status.
@VixSF49ERfan asks: With the Kings starting to play more competitive games lately and building chemistry, do you think Bagley comes off the bench for the remainder of the season or at least until after the All-Star break?
No, but the timetable for his return to the starting lineup is still a bit of a mystery. Kings coach Luke Walton recently said he has planned for Bagley’s return and would “put that plan into place” at the appropriate time, but he hasn’t revealed his intentions.
The Kings signed center Dewayne Dedmon to play alongside Bagley because they felt his outside shooting would provide floor spacing while Bagley develops his perimeter game, but none of that has happened. Bagley was hurt in the season opener and Dedmon, whose 3-point percentage has dropped from 38.2 percent with the Atlanta Hawks last season to 22.9 percent this season in Sacramento, was benched after four games.
If Dedmon had settled in to rediscover his stroke while Bagley was out, Walton might have considered going back to that pairing while keeping Richaun Holmes and Nemanja Bjelica together in the second unit, but that hasn’t happened either. Instead, Dedmon has fallen out of the rotation completely over the past two games while Bjelica and Holmes are putting together career years.
Now Bagley is coming back and it’s unclear how it all fits. The idea of starting him alongside either Bjelica or Holmes is both tantalizing and troublesome. Bjelica’s outside shooting would preserve precious floor spacing, but the Kings would have trouble guarding opposing centers. Combining the athleticism of Holmes and Bagley could give the Kings something dynamic in the frontcourt, but neither is a proven 3-point shooter.
My guess: Walton will continue to start Bjelica and Holmes for a few games. That would give Bagley time to get acclimated and Walton an opportunity to try different combinations until he determines what works best. That process could take a couple of weeks, but I don’t see Bagley remaining in a backup role for long.
@NeoVelamir asks: Have Holmes and Bagley practiced together in the same rotation?
The Kings have had very little time to practice since Bagley was cleared to resume full-contact basketball activities following his six-week evaluation Thursday. He immediately flew out to join the team in San Antonio, but the Kings played the Spurs on Friday, the Mavericks on Sunday and the Rockets on Monday.
Travel and game schedules in the NBA are so rigorous teams don’t have much time for practice during the season. They’ll hold shootarounds and walk through game plans, but to establish continuity together at this point Bagley and Holmes will just have to play together and study film.
@jeffdomingues asks: When can we expect a Mark Olbeeding bobble head night?
You mean Mark Olberding? Not soon enough! Do you guys realize Olberding is 63 years old now? He played for the Kings during their first two seasons in Sacramento after coming over from Kansas City. He had 12 points and eight rebounds to help the Kings beat Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics 105-100 on Feb. 11, 1986, a memorable night at the original Arco Arena. Olberding now lives in San Antonio, where he averaged 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists for the Spurs in 1981-82.
@dmeneley77 asks: I’m really interested in what your thoughts are with the Harry Giles situation. Last year we thought of him as an up and coming, valuable contributor. He seems healthy. Any insight on what’s going on with Vlade and Luke’s thoughts?
All I can really tell you for now is Giles is not in the rotation at the moment, but Walton has said the team will need him at some point. There have been reports team officials weren’t pleased with his work ethic over the summer, but sources have also said the organization still loves Giles and wants to see him succeed. The Kings declined to pick up his option for next season, but the team hasn’t ruled out the possibility of bringing him back on a new deal.
To his credit, Giles continues to work and support his teammates despite the uncertainty.
“That’s out of my hands,” Giles told The Sacramento Bee in November. “I’m just working hard to be the best player I can be.”
Kings upcoming schedule
Dec. 11 vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 7 p.m.
Dec. 13 vs. New York Knicks, 7 p.m.
Dec. 15 at Golden State Warriors, 5:30 p.m.
Dec. 17 at Charlotte Hornets, 4 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Indiana Pacers, 4 p.m.
Injury report
Thunder: OUT — Hamidou Diallo (elbow), Terrance Ferguson (hip), Andre Roberson (knee).
Kings: PROBABLE — Marvin Bagley III (thumb), Bogdan Bogdanovic (knee), Cory Joseph (back). OUT — De’Aaron Fox (ankle).
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 1:42 PM.
