Return of De’Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley III is tricky for Kings coach Luke Walton
The Kings expect to be at full strength for the first time since opening night when they play against the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.
Marvin Bagley III is back — apparently as a center now — after missing 22 games with a broken thumb. De’Aaron Fox plans to play against the Hornets after missing 17 games with a severely sprained ankle. Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic are returning to form after dealing with minor injuries of their own.
The Kings (12-14) have bobbed up and down but managed to stay afloat in the absence of their two most prized young players. They have won four of their last five games to climb to seventh in the Western Conference, a roll they can continue if they avenge an earlier loss to the Hornets (12-17).
The Kings established a different identity while Fox and Bagley were away, one predicated on half-court execution and defense. They were finally establishing some continuity for the first time since training camp. Now they have to do it again.
This is a problem coach Luke Walton is happy to have. Fox was the No. 5 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. Bagley was the No. 2 pick the next year. Having them back is much better than not having them, but Walton admitted it might not look pretty at first after his team committed an eye-popping 29 turnovers in a 100-79 road victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday.
“We anticipated there being a little bit of a bump in the rhythm of how we were playing,” Walton said. “Those are two main pieces for us and we want the ball in their hands, but we played a month without both of them, so just getting that chemistry and that flow again, putting players back into the lineup and the rotation, being a little different, takes a little time.”
‘He’s our point guard’
Fox told The Sacramento Bee on Sunday there is an 80 to 90 percent chance he will play against the Hornets. He has been out since suffering a grade-3 ankle sprain in practice Nov. 11, an injury that has sidelined some NBA players for several months.
Everybody knows Fox is fast. Evidently he’s a quick healer, too.
Fox also has a reputation as a cerebral player with a strong grasp of the game. He watched closely while he was out. He sees what backup point guard Cory Joseph has been doing defensively. He sees things he can do to make the team better offensively.
“I feel like right now, as a team, we haven’t been getting the best shots, but our defense has been so good that we’ve given ourselves a cushion to miss a couple of those shots,” Fox said. “(The focus) for me will be to create shots for everybody else, obviously keep that defense up — that’s something I don’t want to slip when I come back — and just pick up the pace a little more.”
Hield said the Kings can’t wait to get Fox back.
“He’s our point guard,” Hield said. “We miss him.”
The Kings are shooting 35.9 percent from 3-point range after shooting 37.8 percent last season. Walton said the team has been using pin-down screens and other off-ball actions to create 3-point opportunities. Fox’s ability to penetrate should create more drive-and-kick 3s for teammates such as Hield, Bogdanovic and Harrison Barnes.
Hield agreed with that assessment.
“For sure,” Hield said. “(Fox’s) speed is ridiculous. He’s a special talent and I’m the perfect fit to run with him and play with him.”
The Kings are 29th in the NBA in pace after ranking third last season, one of the more surprising byproducts of Walton’s emphasis on half-court execution and defense. They used to run on inbound plays after made baskets. Now they don’t run much at all, but when their fundamentals are sound, Walton envisions a time when he unleashes his team’s greatest strength.
Fox is ready to put that plan in motion.
“Not walking the ball up the floor, especially out of misses, trying to get it up to Buddy or Harrison or Bogi as quick as possible,” Fox said. “Those are things I do naturally, so I think the pace will pick up.”
Center of attention
All eyes have been on Bagley since he returned against the Oklahoma City Thunder last week. In three games, he has averaged 12.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 22.3 minutes off the bench. He had a season-high 17 points and six rebounds against the Warriors.
“He looks good,” Walton said. “He’s done a heck of a job taking care of his body to stay in shape. … I think he’s going to continue to add another dimension to our team and we’re thrilled he’s back.”
The original plan was to play Bagley at power forward and Dewayne Dedmon at center. Then Bagley got hurt and Dedmon fell out of the rotation while struggling with the 3-point shot that helped him secure a three-year, $40 million contract with the Kings over the summer.
Now, Nemanja Bjelica is starting at power forward, Richaun Holmes is starting at center and Bagley is serving in a backup role for now. Bagley has logged virtually all of his minutes at center since his return. Walton explained that playing Bagley at center with Bjelica or Barnes at power forward allows the team to keep good shooters on the floor and maintain proper spacing.
“We don’t want to ask (Bagley) to learn the offense at the 5 and the 4,” Walton said. “We’re going to pick one thing, and our small lineup has been pretty good for us, so for now we have him playing the 5 so he’s got the space to be able to go one-on-one, to pick-and-roll to the rim, and we can continue to leave as much shooting on the floor as we can.”
Holmes was arguably the team’s best player over the first 20 games, but there has been a noticeable decline in his production and minutes since Bagley returned. Holmes played 26 minutes per game over the past three games after averaging 37.7 minutes over the previous three games.
Walton might be grooming Bagley to become the team’s starting center. Bagley said he’s comfortable at either position.
“I’m doing whatever I’ve got to do,” Bagley said. “Whatever coach needs, whatever the team needs, I’m going to adjust and learn and continue to try to help the team win.”
Holmes said he would not object if Walton ultimately chooses to start Bagley at center.
“Whatever we’ve got to do to win,” Holmes said. “We’re all here to do our jobs and whatever is needed, we’re here to provide. That’s something we don’t worry about. We just worry about the next man up, what we do on the floor and what our job is. Everything else will take care of itself. One of our advantages is the depth we have in the frontcourt, so I think it’s a great problem to have.”
Kings upcoming schedule
Dec. 17 at Charlotte Hornets, 4 p.m.
Dec. 20 at Indiana Pacers, 4 p.m.
Dec. 21 at Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m.
Dec. 23 vs. Houston Rockets, 7 p.m.
Dec. 26 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published December 16, 2019 at 2:46 PM.
