Orlando Magic’s Draft leaves more question marks about team’s future
By Jean Racine
The Orlando Magic may have gotten a transformational defensive player in Mohamed Bamba. But the selection leaves a ton of questions for the organization.
The NBA draft has come and gone. And the Orlando Magic are not any better. Or not noticeably better.
The Magic had the sixth pick and they could have either traded up to the third pick by giving up a future first-round pick for Luka Doncic, who some say was the best player in the draft and the most NBA ready player, or trade back and get a future first round pick of their own and shed salary.
Instead, the Magic stayed put and drafted 7-footer Mohamed Bamba. A player who can make a clear defensive impact with his NBA Draft Combine record 7-foot-10 wingspan, but is still raw offensively and still more of a promise than a player who can pay immediate dividends.
Magic fans looking for some immediate hope and a clearer understanding of the direction this team would go can begin seeing the outlines. But it still seems a bit further down the road. The draft failed to deliver much immediate excitement.
Bamba’s stats for the Texas Longhorns were relatively meager. But that does not mean he is a pushover or does not project as a quality, impactful player.
He averaged 12.9 points per game, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks last year. Bamba is coordinated for a big man, with a good-looking jump shot he continues to develop. Some say he has NBA 3-point range but Bamba made only 14-of-51 attempts in college. Bamba will showcase any offensive improvements in Summer League.
But it is safe to say the Magic drafted Bamba based off potential and his record-breaking wingspan. Bamba said he expects to make an impact immediately, but for sure the Magic are taking a patient approach.
There still remains the key question: What if Bamba cannot shoot at the next level and does not develop a consistent post game? What is he struggles to add muscle to his frame and he gets pushed around the paint by bigger centers?
If that is the case, then the Magic wasted a golden opportunity to draft a superstar and change their franchise’s trajectory. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman would have missed his chance to make a big stamp on the franchise.
Bamba’s fit with the Magic current roster is odd.
Orlando already has three centers on the roster in Nikola Vucevic, Bismack Biyombo and Khem Birch. Both Nikola Vucevic and Bismack Biyombo are on big-money contracts ($29 million between them). They have another young, skinny big with proven NBA defensive potential in Jonathan Isaac.
Why draft such a similar player you drafted last year with the sixth pick and add to a logjam at center?
The Magic also drafted two long, wiry forwards in the second round after drafting Wesley Iwundu with the 33rd pick last year. Then came Melvin Frazier this year with the 35th pick? Are they hoping they hit on at least one of them?
Whether or not the Magic can make a Mohamed Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon frontline work, there are a lot of skills that duplicate between them. Maybe that is a testament to the versatility the team is going for. But there hardly seems like enough shooting. Bamba is developing his shot, but he has never cracked it out in a game.
It seems like the Magic keep drafting the same players over and over. Maybe one will be the next Giannis Antetokounmpo, current general manager John Hammond’s pride and joy and the only star or superstar he has drafted.
The Magic seem to be drafting a solid group. But many of those players are still ill-defined or raw. They still need to develop some key skills. And the team as a whole still misses playmaking from the perimeter, consistent shooting and offensive ability.
Still, the team needs something more. And to start this rebuild the Magic need that big piece: A star.
You need superstars in the NBA. Offense wins champions, ask the Golden State Warriors.
As of today, the Magic’s rebuild has still not gotten the kickstart it needs. Not from a player they can truly build around. The team seems headed to further years of mediocrity.
Maybe Bamba can truly change the team’s defense. But the Playoffs only further proved how difficult it is for big men to stay on the floor. The lesson of the postseason is building around rim-protecting bigs can only take you so far. The Magic may have raised their defensive ceiling overall, but they will need more to contend truly.
The Magic still have a ton of unanswered questions. They took some steps to answer some, but left plenty more unsanswered. The rest of the summer through free agents and trades will help further reshape the roster. It still seems Orlando is likely to return to the Lottery to try to answer these big questions again next June.
Maybe they trade Vucevic, whose value is only declining, for that added point guard depth they missed out on in the draft. Maybe they get rid of Bismack Biyombo’s or Evan Fournier‘s contract to create some more financial flexibility, or taking a flyer on a young player who needs a fresh start.
As of today, the Magic have no starting point guard, no superstar, no real 3-point threat, a ton of centers and very little reason for real hope. Not immediately, at least.
Next: Orlando Magic select Mohamed Bamba in NBA Draft
Instead, the Magic still have a lot of questions to answer and a lot of work to do.