Duke basketball star Marvin Bagley III (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Duke Basketball One-And-Done Posterizes Another No. 2 Draft Pick
Marvin Bagley III, a former No. 2 overall draft pick, must be aggressive to earn a permanent spot in the Detroit Pistons' regular rotation this season. With a posterizing dunk on Thursday night in the Pistons' 118-116 preseason road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the 2017-18 Duke basketball one-and-done displayed his aggression.
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And Bagley's highlight moment came against another former No. 2 overall pick in 2021-22 Gonzaga one-and-done Chet Holmgren.
Check out the 6-foot-11, 235-pound lefty's assertive drive and vicious slam in the face of the 7-foot-1, 195-pound Holmgren:
Bagley, battling several other young post talents to be the 2023-24 Pistons' primary backup center, received 16 minutes on Thursday night, the most of any big man off the bench. The 24-year-old tallied nine points, three rebounds, one steal, and zero turnovers while shooting 2-for-4 from the field and 5-for-8 at the charity stripe.
His best stat line came in the preseason opener at home against the Phoenix Suns last week: 25 points and seven rebounds in 22 minutes. But Marvin Bagley III's production has been consistently strong leading up to his sixth season as a pro.
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As for Oklahoma City's Duke basketball product, reserve forward Jack White (a former four-year Blue Devil and one-year teammate to Bagley in Durham) finished the contest with four points on 2-for-2 shooting and one assist in six minutes.
White (now on a two-year contract in OKC) and the Thunder have completed their preseason slate and will prepare for their season opener at the Chicago Bulls next Wednesday.
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Meanwhile, the Pistons wrap up their preseason action with a road game against the Dallas Mavericks at 8 p.m. ET Friday.
Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI.com for more Duke basketball news.