5 questions the Orlando Magic need to answer at Summer League
What will Mohamed Bamba look like in his return?
The first and biggest thing everyone will watch this week in Las Vegas is Mohamed Bamba’s return to the court.
Bamba has not played in a competitive basketball game since Jan. 31. He fractured his left tibia and was out the rest of the year, missing the team’s playoff push.
The Magic brought him back slowly and worked on increasing his strength and knowledge of the league, working with him behind the scenes.
Bamba’s rookie season was an up-and-down affair, as somewhat expected. He posted decent raw numbers, averaging 6.2 points per game, 5.0 rebounds per game and 1.4 blocks per game.
He had plenty of moments where he looked like a potentially dominant defensive force and stretch-5 shooter. But also plenty of moments — more moments, actually — where he was a rookie, playing a game that was still too fast for him.
The Magic were pretty bad with Bamba on the floor — a team-worst -14.9 net rating. A lot of that was because Bamba was put on poor bench lineups. Bamba did not play much when the Magic figured out their rotation and started to make their run.
Orlando Magic
It is perhaps coincidence the Magic made their run to the playoffs after Bamba went out.
That should not change the overall outlook on Bamba. He was a rookie making rookie mistakes and still playing catch up to the game. And so having him back on the court is about seeing just how much he has learned and improved over last year.
It is expected Bamba will be better this year. Second-year players naturally get better because of experience.
At Summer League, Bamba should look a whole lot better than the other young players. The Magic have to hope Bamba dominates the game with his presence. He did last year alongside Jonathan Isaac, but it was clear who was the experienced player and who was the rookie.
Orlando wants to see Bamba play loose and free but under control and dominating the game defensively. That is what second-year players are supposed to do in this setting.
Bamba told reporters in Las Vegas that he had put on about 20 pounds of muscle since last season and he still felt nimble and quick enough with the added weight. Orlando wants to see all that at work on the court this week.
The Magic just completed their first summer league practice. Now 240 pounds, Mo Bamba said he wondered how he would get around on the court with the extra muscle. He said he’s as nimble as ever, and he’s grabbing more rebounds in traffic.
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) July 2, 2019
There is obviously a lot of hand-wringing about Bamba’s development and future with the team. Orlando signed Nikola Vucevic to a four-year deal. Bamba still likely slots in as the backup center on the main roster.
But the Magic want to see that he can come in and dominate this setting. They need to feel comfortable that he is healthy and moving around. The Magic just need to see Bamba play.