The Denver Nuggets haven't had any real success at the backup center position over the past few years. When Nikola Jokic exits the floor for rest, his backups, like Jonas Valanciunas last year, haven't held their own. But Marvin Bagley III has shown promise in the preseason in his first few attempts at the role. And against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Nuggets' 121-106 preseason finale victory, he showed he's not only more than capable of filling those minutes, but he's more than just a one-dimensional fill-in too.
Bagley had an impressive night over his 17 minutes off the bench, scoring 13 points on an efficient 6 of 10 from the floor while grabbing 8 rebounds. Bagley's an excellent finisher around the rim, and he finished his preseason shooting at 57.1% from two-point range after finishing last season with a 64.1% rate.
Bagley's offensive versatility will be a boon for the Nuggets bench unit
But two things really give the Nuggets an advantage with Bagley over Valanciunas last year offensively. Bagley can provide spacing and knock down a three, and he hit 1 of 2 against the Lakers, and he connected on 48.5% of his attempts last year. Valanciunas was never a three-point threat, so having that extra element, especially in the Nuggets' three-point-heavy offense, is particularly useful.
The other big difference for Bagley is that he's much more athletic than we've seen at the backup center spot. He can get downhill and attack the rim on a drive from the perimeter like a big wing. He can also use his athleticism to clean up on putbacks, like he did against the Lakers a couple of times.
Bagley's defense is underrated
Bagley's athleticism and mobility also give him an advantage on defense. He had two good blocks against the Lakers while playing physically and contesting many shots at the rim. Sure, he had five fouls, but better to make the opponent earn the points at the foul line than to give them an easy bucket in the paint. And it was a testament to the physicality Bagley was displaying.
Bagley also had one steal, and he was stingy overall, helping keep the Lakers' centers Walker Kessler and Kevon Looney to a combined 6 points over 39 minutes. Bagley ranked in the 79th percentile as the primary defender at the rim last season, and you can see why after his sterling performance in the final tune-up before the regular season.
Bagley's addition to the non-Jokic minutes should be one of the better upgrades for the Nuggets this year, and the former number two overall pick could just be one of the free-agent steals of the offseason.
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