It has been a week since the Orlando Magic added Mohamed Bamba in the NBA Draft and reset the franchise’s course. How did they do and what comes next?
It has been a week since the NBA Draft and the Orlando Magic taking the next step in their rebuild.
It was a big one too. One with a 7-foot-10 wingspan — or at least a 7-foot wingspan. The Magic’s addition of Mohamed Bamba was a big one for the team. He has the potential to change the team’s defensive identity and provide a solid backstop for the team overall.
The promising trio of Mohamed Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon seems to have all the tools and pieces a team would want to build a strong defense around. For the first time in a while, the Magic seem to have something to get excited about.
But there are still a lot of questions too. This is an incomplete roster as things stand. And that group is still very unproven. Jonathan Isaac’s rookie year was a false start. Aaron Gordon is about to get a big payday that no one is certain he might be worth after just one year taking a step on the right direction. And Bamba is a raw rookie with potential alone at the moment.
Orlando has its work cut out for it still. Even if last week was a step in the right direction.
The Magic got a lot done though. They formed the beginnings of an identity and created an exciting young trio that seems to have the potential to work together.
Now they turn to free agency to fill in the rest of those gaps. They have a big question to answer when it comes to Gordon as he hits restricted free agency. And there is that big hole at point guard the Magic have to fill, even if it is a short-term solution they find for now.
To help us recap the draft and get ready for free agency, the Orlando Magic Daily staff got together to evaluate where things stand with the Magic.