This is where Box Score Bobbying hurts. There's some missing context-- for instance, he's shooting 70% from the FT line over the last nine games, showing some serious improvement as the season goes on. They say he's good from the mid-post, but frankly, he's done well on possessions starting at the perimeter as well. He occasionally settles for the open 3 when it's given to him, but if a big guy forces him out close to the perimeter, he's definitely fast enough and adept enough with the handles to blow by guys his own height. He mentions the 7 foot wingspan, but frankly, a 50 inch vertical more than makes up for that. Yes, he's not an elite shot blocker at this moment on the block in half-court sets, but he's busted out some tremendous blocks in transition chasing down opponents-- how many men his size can do that?

There's some straight-up factual inaccuracy, like how he says Marques Bolden is a back-to-the-basket threat today, or how he says Duke has played a lot of zone (when, in fact, I've been SCREAMING for Duke to play MORE zone-- they've only played it for roughly 4 total halves of the season so far at most) or that they've done it to limit the bigs' responsibility (it has more to do with the trouble we've had stopping dribble penetration/the possible matchup issues we create with it due to our length). They've mostly played man-to-man, and quite frankly, though Carter and Bolden are much better shot blockers, they also struggle far more in that format.

Yes, the 3 ball is a work in progress, but he hasn't been shy, and he's averaging about 1 per game-- just enough to keep defenses honest with the head fake. He's not a 5 unless you're playing super small ball, in which case you're likely emphasizing pressure more than traditional halfcourt D, in which case Bagley's the perfect guy for that. He's not a true stretch 4 in that he doesn't look to the 3 first, but if he can show by season's end 70% FT shooting and 35-36% from 3, that should be enough to keep defenses honest, and he's so much faster/skilled/athletic than the other guys his size that he shouldn't be the type of guy you plop in a corner and let chuck 3s anyhow. He's got an absurd motor, obscene bounce (including a ridiculous 2nd jump), his rebounding on *both* ends is elite, his defense is strong and versatile, and he's the rare big man #1 pick contender that I've *never* seen take plays off. Dude is an animal.

(It also goes without saying that everyone's assessment before conference play is destined to be at least partially dumb, including mine-- everyone would've thought Jayson Tatum couldn't shoot worth a shit until January. So much changes for these young guys in a couple months, and I feel like all of these "Bagley Shouldn't Be #1" pieces I've been reading are... strange, because I don't see those pieces for Doncic/Ayton/Porter when I could make plenty of arguments against-- well, at least the latter two, as I haven't seen Doncic.)