2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Mohamed Bamba

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 9: Mohamed Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 9, 2018 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

What to Look For

Mohamed Bamba’s hard-working mentality should serve him well with the lofty goals he has set for himself. Admittedly, he has aspirations of being the Defensive Player of the Year and a future Hall of Famer.

But during his rookie campaign, he will have more achievable goals.

Bamba will be able to impact the game with his defense and rebounding almost immediately. His ability to rotate and help on defense should result in a lot of blocked shots (did I mention his 7-foot-10 wingspan?).

Orlando Magic /

Orlando Magic

We saw the tag team of Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba dominate Summer League this year with their shot blocking, they should be able to impact an NBA floor as well.

At Texas, Bamba’s impact was pretty clear. The Longhorns had an 89.6 defensive rating with Bamba on the floor. According to Sports-Reference, Bamba had an 8.9 defensive box plus-minus — meaning his defensive impact was nearly nine points per 100 possessions better than the average player.

It is easy to imagine what the team’s defense could look like with the length, speed and shot-blocking ability Bamba can provide in the paint.

His offense will continue to be something Bamba has to develop. He shot 54.1 percent from the floor last year in college. But he had a rudimentary offensive game to say the least.

His slight frame prevented him from developing a strong post game. He still gets pushed around — see Deandre Ayton moving Mohamed Bamba around the paint in their Summer League matchup.

Bamba though is a good athlete who can get up and down the floor quickly and run the floor for rim runs. But Bamba spent a lot of his offseason improving his 3-point shot and his overall jumper. The workout videos of him working

It will be interesting to see how far along Bamba’s shooting abilities have come along. New coach Steve Clifford will have to decide if he trusts the rookie enough to incorporate sets into the offense for Mohamed Bamba.

Everything will be an experiment with Bamba his rookie year. The important thing will be to see if he can make an impact.