2018-19 Orlando Magic Player Evaluations: Mohamed Bamba

Mohamed Bamba arrived to the Orlando Magic with a ton of expectation and promise. His rookie year saw him take plenty of bumps as he began to learn.

The pressure on a draft pick is unreal. Throw in a popular rap song about him and the hype only grows from there. Especially for a team that has a long history of dominant centers and seemed ready to turn the page.

Things do not always work out how they expect — for the player or for the team.

Mohamed Bamba brought a lot of promise. The Rudy Gobert comparisons began immediately. Rudy Gobert held the previous record for wingspan at the NBA Draft Combine before Mohamed Bamba came along (Tacko Fall broke that record at this year’s Combine).

All that came with it was the belief Bamba could transform the Orlando Magic’s usually moribund defense. The linchpin and anchor who could unlock everyone.

Big men usually need time to develop. And defense is the hardest thing to figure out at the NBA level. But when you have a 7-foot-10 wingspan, you can erase a lot of mistakes. You will block a fair amount of shots just by accident.

Bamba was by no means ready to step in and start immediately. He had a slender figure to match his length. His body still had to mature and he needed to get into a NBA weight program to get himself started. He was not going to be able to do everything he is meant to do as a rookie. There was a lot to figure out.

But there was still the thought he would provide some consistent defensive presence and make the Magic a better team on that end. Orlando drafted him as a project. The team knew it would be a long process to get better.

Still, there are games to play. The Magic had to be patient with him even though every number seemed to suggest Bamba was not helping the team. In fact, every number suggested he was among the worst players in the league that got regular rotation minutes.

Orlando did him no favors putting him in poor lineups as the team tried to figure out its rotation. And Nikola Vucevic‘s emergence as an All-Star seemed to disrupt some of the development the Magic wanted to do with Mohamed Bamba. The team still had the primary goal of winning.

And then Bamba’s injury — a fracture in his left tibia — stopped all of that in its tracks. He had to sit out the final 30 games and the playoffs. Orlando did its best to keep him engaged, but the team was in no hurry to bring him back.

His promise would have to wait. And while Bamba still shows tremendous promise, his progress has to have the team thinking about their short-term future and how best to bring Bamba along to become the player he might ultimately become.

The Good and the Bad

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/17/2019.

Mohamed Bamba was drafted as a project. So it was not surprising he had his struggles. Any rookie would. The NBA game is vastly different and every young player has their struggles adjusting to the game. It takes time to develop the skills and awareness to play at this level.

Especially for big men, it can take time to get the physicality down and to find their place. Not to mention the defense is at a higher level and a coach like coach Steve Clifford is going to demand his players contribute on that end first.

That was OK, that was what Bamba was supposed to be able to provide immediately. Jonathan Isaac made plenty of mistakes as a rookie defender, but he used his basketball IQ and length to cover for those mistakes.

That development came slowly for Bamba. He struggled at times to find his way and make a clear impact defensively. He knew how to chase blocks, but he was still learning how to find his way on the court and consistently be on the right spot. Chasing blocks sometimes takes you out of position.

He averaged 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Those numbers translate OK — 11.0 rebounds per 36 minutes and 3.0 blocks per 36 minutes. The clues of his impact are all there. Bamba was improving rebounding in space and is a real shot blocker.

But the numbers also show how much he struggled with his defensive impact. The Magic had a -15.2 net rating with Bamba on the floor, the worst of any player on the team, and a 108.3 defensive rating, the worst of any rotation player on the team.

That is not all Bamba’s fault. The Magic put him in terrible lineups usually manned by Jerian Grant as the backup point guard and with little support from the starters. His initial run also included minutes paired with Nikola Vucevic.

Bamba was also still struggling offensively. He averaged 6.2 points per game and shot 48.1 percent from the floor, including 30.0 percent from beyond the arc. Some of those shooting struggles were expected. He tended to hang on the perimeter a lot as he did not have the body to work in the paint much as a rookie.

Orlando will have to hope he can gain strength and work closer to the basket as he develops.

But the lack of defensive impact though was the most concerning. This was what he was supposed to provide immediately. He looked a bit lost defensively at times as the Magic’s backstop and he was over aggressive as a shot blocker. That is what young players do.

Before his injury, Bamba was taking some positive steps. In the eight games before his injury, while he was still playing a bit hurt after complaining of foot discomfort, Bamba kept up his season averages.

But the team had a 108.3 defensive rating (slightly better than the team’s average for that stretch) with Bamba on the floor and one of the better marks of the team. He was getting better and making a bigger impact on that end specifically before his injury shut him down.

Best Game of 2019

Oct. 17 vs. Heat: 13 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks, 6/8 FGs

It is both a good thing and a bad thing that Mohamed Bamba’s best game of the season might have been his debut. Fans were already about to jump on board Bamba’s hype train from the very start. Especially since Nikola Vucevic actually had one of his worst games in the season debut.

Before anyone knew what hit them, Bamba showed everything he could do on the floor.

He was quick and decisive with his moves, attacking off the dribble and finishing around the basket. Everything happened so easily for him. Even his jumper was smooth and good. There was probably not a moment of more confidence and freedom for Bamba in any game.

Even defensively, Bamba was flying around defensively, changing shots and scoring some massive blocks. He was a big energy boost in the game, helping the Orlando Magic stake a lead with a +13 in the game.

Bamba was a big part of the Magic’s fourth-quarter run to take control of the game too. Fans were begging Clifford to keep him in the game when Vucevic checked back in late. It probably did not help the Magic nearly blew the game when Vucevic returned. Everyone wanted more Bamba.

Clifford was right to remove Bamba at that time. He went with the rookie probably a few minutes longer than he should have. He was clearly dragging as he came to the end of his 24:58 of play in that game, the second most he would play in any game this season.

But in that moment, it felt like the future had arrived. Jonathan Isaac and Aaron Gordon both had strong games that night too. And Mohamed Bamba turned the Magic into something else. If there was any game this season that showed who the Magic might be in two or three years, the opener was it.

It was a rollicking good time for fans to enjoy the opening of the season and get a glimpse of their future. Bamba was probably never better than he was this night as the league began to adjust to him.

2020 Outlook

Mohamed Bamba’s season came crashing down when the team discovered a fracture in his left tibia and the team had to shut him down. There were some hopes he could return. But with the Orlando Magic rolling as they did to the playoffs, there was no rush to bring him back.

Orlando’s plan with Bamba then was to have him watch and observe as he did his rehab. Coach Steve Clifford and his staff created a plan for Bamba to engage with film, “study the league” and provide notes on his thoughts on the opponents he would one day face and how the team was doing.

Clifford was nothing but complimentary of how Bamba attacked this plan and stayed engaged with the team even when he was injured. He said Bamba provided good insight and was learning and understanding what the coaching staff wanted by watching the film.

Orlando Magic

Of course, you have to take film study and turn it into action. Bamba has to step onto the floor and make a difference.

The first step is to get healthy. He already seems well on his way to that. The Magic should expect him to play in Summer League. Of course, they will have to make some pretty big decisions about the franchise before then.

Mohamed Bamba’s development should have little to do with the decision to re-sign Nikola Vucevic. But it also has everything to do with it. The Magic should not look to commit long-term to Vucevic if they believe Bamba is the one-day starter for the team. Whether that is next year or further down the line.

Re-signing Vucevic to a four-year deal when he is actually a stop-gap option is not going to help anybody. But, at the same time, Bamba is probably not going to be ready to start next season either. He still has a lot of development to go — especially with his body.

Next year will not be a second rookie year as it was for Jonathan Isaac this year or, to some extent, Markelle Fultz whenever he steps back on the court. Bamba got his feet wet in a real way and took his lumps.

Next year, he has to put more of it together. He has to become a more consistent shooter and scorer. And, most importantly, he has to become more disciplined and reliable defensively. That is the real way for him to take the next step and make a bigger impact.

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.