Detroit Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III will miss time to start the 2022-23 season. On Wednesday, an MRI on his right knee revealed a sprained MCL and a minor bone bruise. This is a non-contact knee injury.
The wing is expected to miss 3-4 weeks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Bagley III was helped off the floor in the Pistons’ 115-99 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday. He suffered this injury after one minute on the court.
Some NBA betting sites give the Pistons the seventh-lowest chance of winning the championship in 2023. With the team still rebuilding, punters aren’t expecting Detroit to make the playoffs this season.
Pistons official: Bagley III will miss 3-4 weeks with a bone bruise and a sprained ACL in his right knee.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 12, 2022
During the 2021-22 season, the Sacramento Kings traded Bagley III to the Pistons for Josh Jackson and Trey Lyles. In 18 appearances with Detroit, the wing averaged 14.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
Pistons forward Marvin Bagley III will miss 3-4 weeks to start 2022-23 season
On March 27, 2022, in the Pistons’ 104–102 loss to the New York Knicks, the forward scored a season-high 27 points in 35 minutes of action. He hit a 3-pointer and went 11-for-14 (78.6%) shooting from the ground.
In July, Bagley III signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Pistons. His agreement also includes a trade restriction. He cannot be redeemed until December 15.
While discussing the Pistons’ playoff chances in an interview Tuesday, Bagley III mentioned, “We don’t put a limit on it. We can do so many things with this team.”
“Just keep learning, improving and working like we’ve been doing. When we turn around, the next thing we know, we’ll be where we want to be.”
While the Pistons are projected to win a maximum of 29 games in the 2022-23 season, many fans are more optimistic this time around. During the offseason, the team acquired Bojan Bogdanovic in a trade and selected Purdue star Jaden Ivey fifth overall in this year’s draft.
