Marvin Bagley III's new team is in the same place as his old one, toiling through a rebuild in the basement of the league. But Bagley is in a different place in Detroit, where the Pistons have a pair of young point guards who can get him the ball and a larger blueprint to build something special.
"Everybody’s sticking with it," Bagley said after another strong game in the Pistons' win over the Hawks on Wednesday. "Everybody here, we know where we’re trying to get to. Every game I feel like we’re getting better."
The Pistons have certainty gotten better with Bagley. They had an NBA-worst winning percentage of .214 when he was acquired from the Kings last month. They've won twice as often (.429) with their new big man in the lineup. No one's celebrating mediocrity, nor is anyone attributing Detroit's improvement entirely to Bagley. But it's much more than a coincidence.
Bagley has the length and the finishing ability around the rim the Pistons were missing. (Troy Weaver traded for him for a reason.) He's a scoring threat that constantly stresses a defense. (The Kings drafted him second overall for a reason.) That makes life easier for Cade Cunningham and Killian Hayes, who in turn have made life easier for Bagley. He throws down another lob (or two) every game.
Bagley's numbers with the Pistons are in line with his career numbers, except for this: he's shooting a career-high 52 percent from the field. Which is, again, more than a coincidence. Whenever he's on the floor, so is a point guard who knows when and where to find him.
"It’s super fun, man, I like playing like that. I haven’t had that on my team in a minute, guys who can throw lobs and create like that. To be able to have two, playing with both of them and just getting to the open spots and presenting yourself so they can throw it up and you just go up and get it, it's been fun so far," Bagley said. "I’m sure the fans love it and it’s just exciting to be out there doing it."
Weaver acquired Bagley with visions of keeping him, Bagley came here with visions of staying. Their visions are coming to life. Bagley is one of seven key contributors for the Pistons who's under the age of 24, three of whom were top-10 picks. They'll add another top-10 pick this summer; they might add two. They're .500 against playoff teams since Bagley's arrival. They're getting better by growing up.
"I’m telling you, this team is going to be great," Bagley said. "We got a lot of great pieces and I’m excited to be here, a part of it, just building something with this team."
Bagley, who turned 23 this month, will be eligible for a $7.2 million qualifying offer this summer. Weaver and the Pistons will almost surely bring him back at that price, his injury history notwithstanding. Bagley has been a good find for Detroit, which has been a good fit for Bagley. He's happy with his change of scenery, a change much bigger than it might appear.
"Like I said, we got a great team here. We’re going to be something special if we continue to lock in on the big picture," Bagley said.