The mystery of Marvin Bagley’s foot injury continues.
The 21-year-old big man was seen in a walking boot and on crutches by media members on the NBA’s Orlando campus on Monday. On Tuesday, the rumors were confirmed when he was captured walking away from the Kings’ early morning practice.
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It’s not the Zapruder film, but it’s clear from the image that Bagley is in some sort of brace on his right leg and he is using a crutch to leave the court.
During the morning media session, coach Luke Walton was asked about the MRI results and why there isn’t an update yet on Bagley.
"The films have been sent out, we're waiting to kinda get some more information back from that," Walton said.
When pressed on the matter, Walton said that "being in the bubble is always a little different, so I don't know how the whole protocols work, we've got a lot going on. I trust in the process that's happening. When I get the information, I'll share it with you guys."
NBA
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Marvin Bagley’s inability to stay on the court is an issue. The promising young big man took another step backward when he landed on a teammate's foot while going up for an offensive rebound in the Kings’ practice Sunday.
Speculating on the nature of the injury won’t help the matter, but the news of another lower leg injury is less than stellar for the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
During the league’s four-month hiatus, Bagley worked hard at home with family and came into Kings camp in great shape and 10 pounds heavier. Bagley has drawn praise from Walton during the build-up to the restart and he’s had plenty of reps as one of the few healthy bigs on the roster.
Bagley has played a total of 13 games this season for Sacramento and the injury bug has become a major obstacle in his development.
He broke his thumb in the season opener and missed 22 games. When he returned, he lasted just eight games before a left mid-foot sprain shut him down. The foot injury cost Bagley 29 of the final 33 games of the season, and there was no set date for a return when the season was shut down on March 11.
We’ll have more information when the MRI results finally become available, but with just 10 days before a season restart and a tight eight-game schedule, the prospect of a return is getting dimmer by the moment.