The Detroit Pistons have a lot of talented, young players who will be playing prominent roles on the team this season. But, they also have some younger veterans that are looking to get their careers on track and earn a rotation spot in Detroit.
Marvin Bagley II, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and James Wiseman, the No. 2 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, are both on the Pistons roster. But, with Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart locking down the starting frontcourt spots, head coach Monty Williams has said that there is room for only one of the former No. 2 picks in the team’s rotation.
After the first preseason game of the year, it would be fair to say that Bagley has a leg up in that race. He was excellent on Sunday evening against the Phoenix Suns as arguably the best player on the court that night.
Bagley scored a game-high 25 points, making 10-of-14 shot attempts to go along with seven rebounds and one assist in only 22 minutes of playing time. Wiseman received 16 minutes, scoring four points with seven rebounds and one steal.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Marvin Bagley III & Detroit Pistons Updates
The biggest difference in their performances was the impact they had on the scoreboard. Bagley had a plus/minus ratio of +19, the second highest in the game, while Wiseman was -13, the worst mark for a bench player on the team.
Bagley drew praise from Williams after the game. The head coach was happy about the impact he was able to have on the court as he was productive in multiple facets of the game.
“Changed the game,” Williams said. “He just came in and played with a great deal of force. His dives were productive. He wasn’t putting the ball down in traffic. Defensively, I thought he did a much better job calling out screening actions which helped our guards out. For him to sit over there and come in and have an effect says a lot about his mindset and discipline to stay locked in.”
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Marvin Bagley III & Detroit Pistons Updates
That is certainly a great first impression to make in the preseason. With a rotation spot up for grabs, Bagley brought it, at least for one game. It will be interesting to see if he can continue playing at that level for the remainder of the preseason or if Wiseman will close the gap in the coming weeks leading up to the regular season.
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