If you ever wonder what the key to success is in basketball, the message from coaches and scouts is clear: Consistency.

Being able to play at a level, with minimal game-by-game drop-off, allows coaches to trust that player, which in turn leads to minutes.

Marvin Bagley, the second overall draft pick in 2018, has yet to break out in the NBA, but he does have the consistency of production down.

Bagley's season-by-season per-minute productive has found itself in a realm of steadiness. On a Per36-minute basis, he's never gone below 16.9 points, and never higher than 21.2. He's never gone below 9.8 rebounds, and never higher than 10.8. His FG% has ranged between 46.7% and 52.9%.

Mind you, these are raw stats that lack significant context in terms of his actual on-court value, which we'll get to, but at least statistically Bagley has proven himself capable of delivering consistent production over the course of his career.

So, what's missing?

Bagley joined the league in possibly the worst time for a player of his archetype. He's a 6'11 power forward with an unimpressive wingspan (7'1) for someone his height, and a player who seemingly looks more like a throwback to the days of Amar'e Stoudemire and Shawn Kemp, than as a new-age four like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pascal Siakam.

Bagley is too talented to not find himself on an NBA roster. He can give any team a solid injection of both points and rebounds off the bench, and does offer a pick-and-roll option that's attractive to pair with back-up point guards.

Bagley, optimistically, was supposed to be the ultimate play finisher. He was expected to become an outright exceptional scorer, not just a consistent part-time starter. He was expected to become a great rebounder, not just a consistent slightly-above-average one.

And therein lies the rub.

Bagley has followed the blueprint of consistency, but he's failed to deliver on the promise of his potential, which has now labeled him as an underachiever.

For someone who is as productive as he is, that seems like an unfair label, and one which is screaming for an update.

Despite not becoming an All-Star caliber scorer, Bagley does provide some value. He's been stuck in rebuilds - first the Kings, and now the Pistons - which hasn't allowed him the opportunity to see if his production could translate to a winning team.

Some of that is on him too. Bagley could stand to amp up his focus and attention on defense, and locking himself in a gym over a summer to finally get a handle on that three-point shot would also be beneficial.

But what expectations were of him, coming into a draft over five years ago, has to be let go. He's not going to transform into a superstar power forward. He won't be Antetokounmpo, Siakam, Kemp or Stoudemire.

Instead, it's time to figure out who the new version of Marvin Bagley will become, which leads us to this season.

The Pistons made a change at head coach, hiring Monty Williams, kept Bojan Bogdanović, traded for Joe Harris, and are eagerly awaiting the return of a fully healthy Cade Cunningham.

In short: The Pistons have every intention of washing away the disappointment of their 17-win season last year.

This is an opportunity for Bagley, regardless of how stacked the frontcourt is. It's an opportunity to break the comfort of consistency, and try to aim for something more.

Perhaps Bagley will be reduced to a bench role where he plays no more than 12 minutes per game. If so, it's time for Bagley to take ownership of those 12 minutes, and attempt to do the one thing that's so far eluded him in his NBA career: Level up.

Whatever role he's given, Bagley has to break out of the invisible box he's had around him for years. Not to become the next star, but to at least reach a new height for which to establish a new level of consistency.

The timing is beneficial too.

Bagley stands to earn $12.5 million this year, with the amount repeating itself next season, all of which are guaranteed. He wouldn't risk going into the summer of 2024 with financial uncertainty.

In essence, Bagley is looking ahead to $25 million regardless of the results a season or two of experimentation will yield. If he fails, and his current play persists, he's unquestionably looking at a drastic pay decrease by 2025.

But if he does break out of his shell, and becomes a better version of himself, there's a good chance he could retain his current compensation, if not increase it.

For their part, Detroit should keep a close eye on Bagley this season. If he takes more ownership of his own role, and outperforms expectations, they should attempt to extend his minutes, just to see how big of a role he can handle. If nothing else, an improving Bagley could make for a solid alternative should James Wiseman struggle with what is expected to be a considerable role.

As for Bagley, it's all about embracing this upcoming season with a different mindset. His NBA career has been an afterthought for too long, and for that to change, he'll need to break his pattern of comfort and try to become something more.

Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.