2018-19 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Mohamed Bamba

Final Grade

Mohamed Bamba was always going to take his lumps in his rookie year. Expecting him to come in and take the starting job immediately were always a bit far fetched. His skills were still developing and he did not have the strength to bang down low as a center.

That part was expected. The Magic played him as the backup center and got him plenty of time. He did not really do much to earn more playing time than the 16.3 minutes per game he averaged. In his lone start, he got overwhelmed by a superior San Antonio Spurs team.

Bamba showed flashes of who he could become. He was active chasing blocked shots and his length had some real effects. His 3-point shooting development was promising too. He can be a multi-faceted offensive option. Especially as he puts on more weight and muscle to go down low in the block.

The Magic were careful with his development in that way. They put him in positions where he could succeed and he found ways to do so.

But overall, Bamba’s learning curve was perhaps a bit steeper than everyone thought.

Few rookies can come in and make a big impact defensively. It is just so complicated and difficult to understand and play at a high level. Even a player with Bamba’s natural gifts found himself struggling and getting too eager to attack the ball. Those are young player mistakes. They happen.

But it is also undeniable the Magic were a demonstrably worse team with Bamba on the floor. They likely sacrificed a few wins throughout the season because Bamba was on the floor. Although it is hard to pinpoint that directly to him — he was involved with some poor bench lineups.

Still, Bamba’s rookie year should be seen as much for the encouraging signs as they were for some of his struggles. That is what a rookie does. The struggles were as much about the expectations everyone set for him right from the start.

Perhaps if he had not gotten hurt, he would have continued to show the growth and development his play was starting to hint at. He was getting it and starting to turn a corner.

But he never got to turn that corner thanks to an injury. And so we are left with a season where Bamba took a lot of lumps and learning experiences.

Only to wait on the promise he could bring when next season begins.