Former Duke Basketball Star Cementing Key Role in Detroit

Marvin Bagley III might not become the Detroit Pistons' full-time starting center this season. But the former Duke basketball one-and-done, who went No. 2 overall at the 2018 NBA Draft following his ACC Player of the Year campaign in Durham, is the primary backup at the five-spot.

He battled as a consistent producer in preseason action. And through four games in the regular season, the former No. 1 overall recruit in the 2017 class is averaging 11.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent from the field, 50.0 percent from three, and 86.7 percent at the line.

Impressively, he has committed only one turnover and four fouls all season.

On Monday night, albeit in a 124-112 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bagley recorded 13 points, four rebounds, one assist, zero turnovers, and only one foul in his season-high 24 minutes off the bench behind starting center Jalen Duren. He was 3-for-4 from the field and 7-for-8 at the charity stripe.

It's early in the year, of course. Even so, it's worth pointing out that the 24-year-old Duke basketball product's per-36-minute averages of 24.4 points and 11.6 rebounds suggest he could become a double-double machine should he see a consistent bump in playing time.

Marvin Bagley has accepted his role and dominated in it.

He knows he's only going to play 13-16 minutes a game, but he's going 100% in those minutes and it actually puts him in bets position to maximize his scoring talent while minimizing his weaknesses.
— Ku (@KuKhahil) October 29, 2023

His most productive season thus far as a pro (between his stints with Pistons and Sacramento Kings) was as a rookie, when the then-19-year-old Marvin Bagley III averaged what remains his career-highs with 14.9 points and 7.6 rebounds per game for the Kings.

Bagley and the 2-2 Pistons have one day off before hosting the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night.

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