The Orlando Magic have a history of drafting star centers. Mohamed Bamba could be what finally ends this latest rebuild and continues the franchise’s legacy at the position.
Texas Longhorns big man Mohamed Bamba is a physical specimen. At 7-feet tall with a 7-foot-9 wingspan and quick feet, Bamba has the potential to anchor a defense for a decade. Bamba averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game in college.
It is hard not to feel impressed with those raw numbers and his raw physicality. And it seemed like he was only scratching the surface.
Bamba is someone scouts are salivating over due to his immense potential. Not only do they expect him to have a Rudy Gobert-type impact on the defensive end, he also has impressed with his 3-point shooting ability in pre-draft workouts and even dating back to practices at Texas.
His game may be raw, but the outlines suggest he could be something very special. Especially with the work he has already been willing to put in.
While Bamba only shot 27 percent on threes in college, he only took 51 shots from beyond the arc all season. Bamba was used as more of a rim running big and lob threat on the inside.
That potential is merely potential. What Bamba is right now is an athletic freak. Someone who just overpowers defenders with his length and size.
Bamba is a great athlete for a guy his size. He is quick off his feet and nimble enough to switch onto most guards on the perimeter and then use his incredible length to affect their shots.
So why is this Draft Combine marvel who oozes potential not projected to go number one in this year’s draft?
Mohamed Bamba did not put up the type of production in college that other bigs in this draft like Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III did. Bamba’s skills were more instinctual and not well refined. He has a long way to go in this game.
Some games, he seemed to disappear on the court and not dominate lesser competition like some draft pundits and teams would have hoped. There are also questions just like with every player about whether or not he can fulfill all that potential he has.
But ever since Dwight Howard left town the Orlando Magic have had trouble defensively and protecting the rim in particular. Bamba could be the answer to fix their defensive troubles and maybe do much more.
The Good
Mohamed Bamba is expected to come in and transform a team’s defense on day one.
He is the type of player a team can build their defensive system around, closing hard at shooters and funneling all drives to the basket right into those long shot-blocking limbs.
In the modern NBA, as we have seen with the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and almost every playoff team, to be successful guarding teams in the pick and roll nowadays you must have a big who can switch onto guards and not get eaten alive.
Bamba has the ability to terrorize teams in the pick and roll defensively. Switching onto guards and using his athleticism to stay in front of them, combined with his length, he can still contest shots when he gets beat.
He averaged 4.9 blocks and 16.7 rebounds per 40 minutes and only 3.4 fouls showing he has good instincts on the glass and does not bite on a lot of pump fake like some young shot blockers do.
Defensively Bamba is a monster. He will make an impact there immediately for any team just by his presence. But his potential on offense is what makes him such a tantalizing prospect.
He can finish around the rim with ease due to his size and athletic ability, but also shows a good feel with simple hook shots. He has decent footwork under the rim.
Bamba gets up and down the floor very well for someone his size and uses that quickness on rolls to the basket.
While not an incredible leaper he is long and quick enough off his feet that he is a lob threat and also had some truly incredible dunks driving to the basket at Texas.
The skill that could turn Bamba into one of the best two-way players in the league is the 3-point shooting. He showed good form in college on limited attempts but has improved it even more throughout the draft process showing that he has the potential to be a threat from deep in a couple of years.
Combining Mohamed Bamba with Jonathan Issac would turn the Magic into a defensive juggernaut overnight and give this team a foundation to build on for the future.
If Bamba reaches his potential offensively too then you really have something brewing.
The Bad
If Mohamed Bamba does not become anything more than an around the rim threat offensively then is it worth picking him as high as he is going to go in the draft?
Far too often centers nowadays just become unplayable down the stretch of games if they do not pose a threat offensively. In Orlando, we have long seen the ill effects of having a player who impacts only one side of the floor especially at the center position.
There are questions about his motor and drive to get better. His raw skills seemed to be enough and he did not display much else in his lone year in college.
It begs the question: Will he put in the work he needs to in order to reach his ceiling and become a threat on both ends of the floor?
There were times this season where Bamba would be invisible for halves at a time. And his rudimentary offensive game made it difficult to keep him involved. He floated to the perimeter too often too, falling in love with his jumper if the first one went in.
At 216 pounds, he is not a physical guy. He can sometimes get pushed out of position on both ends. And he has trouble going up strong and finishing through contact at the rim.
That slight frame is also a concern. It may help with his ultimate mobility, but it could hurt him as he tries to attack the glass. His physical gifts will keep him afloat, but the NBA can be a much more skill-based game.
The other issue with Bamba is just simply whether his position carries enough value in the NBA today to warrant picking him with one of the top picks in the draft. If he is not going to be a go-to scorer or playmaker then is he the type of player you can build around in 2018.
Draft Sites Say
Kevin Pelton, ESPN
"One concern about Bamba: his projected assist rate (1.3 per 100 team plays) ranks among the bottom 25 in my projection database. It’s possible to become an effective offensive player despite that issue — fellow Longhorn LaMarcus Aldridge had a weaker assist projection, as did Hassan Whiteside, though Greg Oden and Emeka Okafor were similar — but it limits Bamba’s offensive value."
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
"Combines length with excellent coordination, allowing him to block or alter shots with either hand all over the court. Mobile; a potential five-position defender if he masters fundamentals. Long strides enable him to cover a lot of ground when closing out on shooters or sprinting in transition. . . . Lacks the intensity you’d hope for in a defensive anchor. Gets pushed around by stronger players inside the paint. Not the quickest leaper when battling for contested rebounds; usually needs time to gather and launch to elevate."
Jackson Hoy, The Stepien
"Bamba has been labeled by many as a potential unicorn thanks to his burgeoning three-pointer and world-eating wingspan that allows him to affect shots all over the floor. While he theoretically has that sort of upside, adding a considerable amount of strength, particularly in his lower body, will be imperative for Bamba’s success at the highest levels. NBA space should help him look better as a dive man and cutter, but he’s going to struggle with the physicality of professional big men and his inconsistent motor as a finisher, rebounder, and rim-runner will have to improve. That said, players as coordinated and as gigantic as Bamba only come around once every five years or so. Barring injury, it would be a shock to see him make it out of the top 10 come June."
Dave Ray, NBADraft.net
"A truly elite physical specimen in terms of length, Mohamed Bamba jumps off the page with his 7’9” wingspan and 9’6” standing reach … This kind of size allowed him to immediately burst on to the NCAA scene as an elite rim protector with the measurables to translate this skill to the NBA … Blocking 3.7 shots per game during his regular season stint at Texas doesn’t even take into account the countless shots he altered or drive attempts he thwarted. . . . As obvious is as length is, it’s also not hard to notice he’ll need to continue to add strength to play the paint in the next level … At the 2017 Hoop Summit, he only weighed in at 216 pounds … Ideally, you’d like to see Bamba at least around 240 in a year or two, or possibly 250."
Final Word
Mohamed Bamba has all the tools.
He fits what Jeff Weltman and John Hammond look for historically in the draft. Long, athletic, raw players with big upside.
With Nikola Vucevic in the final year of his contract and not being a great fit for the modern NBA, Mohamed Bamba could fill the void in the middle and help give this team a new identity as a defensive first group. That is what Steve Clifford has historically deployed.
Combining Mohamed Bamba with Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon would give Orlando a young, new-age front court that could set a new trend of versatile basketball and become a mold for future teams to follow.
Orlando must decide whether they think Bamba will become a good enough offensive player to be a difference maker for this franchise.
Not addressing a back-court that currently consists of D.J. Augustin and Shelvin Mack in the draft could prove fatal for a team strapped with cash and with little assets to trade. But if they believe Bamba is the best player available that is who they need to pick.
After being stuck at the bottom of the standings for this long and not having a star to show for it they need to hit big in the 2018 NBA Draft.
The Magic need a franchise-changing talent.
Next: 2018 NBA Draft Preview: Who is Trae Young?
Bamba has the potential to be just that.