2019 Orlando Magic Player Outlook: Mohamed Bamba

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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 06: Mohamed Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic stands on the court during his team’s game against the Brooklyn Nets during the 2018 NBA Summer League at the Cox Pavilion on July 6, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Magic defeated the Nets 86-80. 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. (Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

What Could Go Wrong

The previous front office regime did not handle the development of Mario Hezonja, Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton properly. There is a track record for the team seeing draft picks fall apart. Aaron Gordon took a long while to come around too.

Talent level aside, the Magic leadership did not do these players any favors with the ways they were used and the amount of playing time given while they were in Orlando.

With that being said, if Bamba is given a short leash and is punished by losing minutes when he makes a mistake it will hurt his overall development. Other disaster scenarios could be Bamba losing minutes to veterans and being buried on the depth chart.

Still, the Magic are likely to develop Bamba kind of slowly. They do not want to make the mistake of overplaying him or exposing his still developing body to injury — see Jonathan Isaac.

Still, Orlando needs to make sure Bamba gets his time on the court. He might start the year playing behind Nikola Vucevic and coming off the bench as he adapts to the NBA world. Eventually, the Magic hope he will turn into the starter and his impact will be clear.

There is still a lot that is unknown about Bamba. He might not be ready to contribute a lot on the offensive end. His lack of strength might hurt him defensively as he deals with bigger players on the block.

Bamba is still a raw prospect who is putting a lot of pieces together. A key factor in Bamba having a successful season is the coaching staff giving him the freedom to play important minutes and learn from potential rookie mistakes.

He will also have to take instruction and grow his game. Bamba is not a complete picture quite yet. But the Magic will have to suffer through some growing pains and ensure he has the opportunity to contribute this year.