Josh Jackson quietly placed 4th or 5th on the 2018 rookie totem pole. Playing for the Phoenix Suns often means playing to a blind audience, they don't just get a fair amount of national television coverage. The second-year player joined team hopefuls in Summer League action against Marvin Bagley's Sacramento Kings' side. Unfortunately for Bagley the game ended in both embarrassment and injury. Let's start with the goood news.
The good news is Bagley scored a respectable 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting and posted seven rebounds in 32 minutes of action against the Suns. His rookie "rival" DeAndre Ayton came away with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 12 rebounds.
Now to the bad news: Bagley was forced to exit the game with an groin injury. The forward will undergo an MRI test on Mondayand will miss the next tune-up against Los Angeles, and is doubtful to return on Tuesday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Then again, the Vegas League is more a showcase for players on the fringe of making the team. Bagley's spot is all but ensured.
The worst news of all took place on a drive that occurred before Bagley was removed from the game. Marvin picked the ball in the defensive end, running the full distance of the court before loading up for a yam. Little did he know, Josh Jackson right behind him making up the ground. Words simply don't do it justice:
Josh Jackson isn't the only Suns' player getting the job done on the defensive end this offseason. Watch Dragan Bender get the Dikembe Mutombo seal of approval for this monstrous denial.