NBA Draft 2021: Joshua Christopher, Marcus Bagley among top California prospects

Marcus Bagley – Arizona State – 6’8 – 215 lbs – October 2001

Christopher is the prize of Bobby Hurley’s incoming class, but Bagley is a good recruit as well. The four-star was ranked No. 29 in the 247Sports database and the No. 6 recruit from California.

The younger brother of former Duke star Marvin Bagley, Marcus’ game is a bit different. He can play either the three or the four and specializes in scoring. Bagley has a pure jump shot with range, and can also shoot off the dribble.

There’s potential for Bagley to be a really good multi-positional defender. He’s got size and strength and is a good athlete. At Sheldon High School, he coasted a bit on that end but when the effort was there, I was impressed. He could be a really good rebounder given his leaping ability.

The question for Bagley is what can he bring to the table besides shooting. He is far from a self-creator right now with his limited handle, and he misses some fairly obvious passing reads.  I also question his motor at this stage.

At Arizona State, it will be fascinating to see how Bagley blends in with the three ball-dominant guards (Christopher, Verge, and Martin). His touches will definitely be limited, but I think Bagley could be used as a very good small-ball four. His shooting should open the floor up and I could see him getting plenty of open threes. The Sun Devils will need him to guard down low and rebound at a high clip, but I think he’s capable of both.

As an NBA draft prospect, his size and shooting should get him to the league eventually, even if the ancillary skills don’t improve much. Given the crowded backcourt in Tempe, I’m not sure Bagley will have the opportunity to be a one-and-done. But if he does leave this year, he’d be worthy of a selection in the second round.

NBA Draft Projection: Second-round pick (in either 2021 or 2022)