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Mohamed Bamba’s development will be key to determining Orlando Magic’s future

By Dan Bennett

ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 26: Mo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic shoots a jumper over Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers during the second half at Amway Center on January 26, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FLORIDA - JANUARY 26: Mo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic shoots a jumper over Montrezl Harrell #5 of the LA Clippers during the second half at Amway Center on January 26, 2020 in Orlando, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic center Mohamed Bamba’s level of improvement next season will be key to determining the future path that the team takes.

Next season is a big one for Mohamed Bamba. The 22-year-old is yet to truly make an impact in the NBA, having seen his playing time reduced from 16.3 minutes per game in his rookie season to 14.2 in the past year.

The remnants of the fracture in his leg that cut his rookie season short limited him early in the season. And Mohamed Bamba never really got a full rhythm going throughout the course of the season.

His second year was cut short just when he seemed to be making the gains he needed — first by the pandemic hiatus that paused the season and then by COVID-19.

Bamba spent his pandemic hiatus diligently gaining weight — so much so that he is now listed at 250 pounds. But the lingering effects of COVID-19 prevented him from playing and eventually had him sent home from the bubble.

While Bamba has been able to work and do some things, the Orlando Magic acknowledge he is still feeling some of those effects even today.

He finished the 2020 season averaging 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game. Essentially the same numbers he had last year. Bamba averaged 13.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per 36 minutes, numbers very similar to his rookie year.

It is hard to say Bamba made any visible or clear improvements from his rookie to his second year.

But the simple fact remains Bamba has not received enough time on the court to play a major role. He has also missed both postseason series that the Magic have played which would have been a beneficial experience for such a young player.

Bamba has all the tools to be a really good NBA player. His height and enormous 7-foot-10 wingspan make him a constant shot-blocking threat and have caused comparisons to be drawn to Rudy Gobert. He also has the ability to stretch the floor thanks to his shooting and possesses considerable pace for a man of his size.

Those are all still there. And Bamba has to put them on display this year. Those signs need to begin galvanizing and coming together.

Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic /

Orlando Magic

This is not merely for the sake of the 2021 Magic’s playoff hopes with Bamba as the backup center. But also for Bamba’s as he has one additional year left on his rookie contract before the Magic have to decide whether or not to retain him following the 2021 season.

Pulling it all together

There have been signs of Mohamed Bamba demonstrating why he was taken sixth overall in the 2018 NBA Draft.

He averaged 3.5 blocks per 36 minutes last season, the best in the league with Hassan Whiteside. According to Basketball Index and data from Second Spectrum, opponents also shot 14.6-percent worse at the rim when Bamba was defending it.

While opponents are trying to test the young center constantly. He was able to still put together a lot of blocks. Those instincts will serve him as well as he continues to develop the ability to recognize and diagnose defensive situations better.

His defensive skill set means he will always have a role on an NBA team. For Bamba, it is a case of seeing exactly what level he can get to.

Much of that will depend on whether he can stay injury-free and if his conditioning allows him to get enough time on the court. Using the suspension of the season to add significant muscle should also help him, having been listed at 250 pounds on the team’s training camp roster.

But it will also be down to how much development he can make in his offensive game. His 3-point shooting improved from 30-percent in his rookie season to 34.6-percent in his sophomore year and there is certainly room for more growth.

But a player of his size should be able to dominate the paint and Bamba needs to work on his aggressiveness inside if he is to become a high-level center. Bamba rolled on only 35-percent of his pick and roll opportunities, according to Basketball Index. He always preferred to pop and stay on the perimeter.

Bamba’s added strength and muscle should help him feel more confident rolling down the lane.

Offensive rebounds and putbacks are another way he has been able to score but if he can become a more complete paint scorer then Bamba will be a real danger, something his added muscle could also help him to accomplish.

Bamba was one of the better offensive rebounders in the league — grabbing 4.1 offensive rebounds per 75 possessions (in the 93rd percentile, according to Basketball Index). Even more impressively nearly three-quarters of his rebounds were contested. The only thing he does not typically do is put the ball in the basket off those opportunities.

Expanding is role

Throughout his two years on the team, Mohamed Bamba has acted as a backup to former All-Star Nikola Vucevic. His fellow center has been the Orlando Magic’s leader on offense, averaging 19.6 points per game last season and helping Orlando once again reach the playoffs.

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    • Vucevic’s presence makes Bamba’s aim of becoming a starter more tricky. The Magic have relied heavily on Vucevic for creativity on offense and without him, the team likely would not have made the playoffs in both the last two seasons.

    But despite Vucevic’s excellent performances in a Magic jersey, the core of himself, Evan Fournier and Aaron Gordon has been unable to push the team past the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference or the first round of the playoffs.

    Being stuck in the middle is one of the most frustrating places to be in the NBA and the Magic are searching for a way forward. The team’s free agency has been unspectacular, meaning the trade market and more focus on the young players could be the way forward.

    This is what makes Bamba’s development next season so important for Orlando.

    No one can fault Vucevic for his efforts and performances for the Magic but without acquiring the proven talent to go around him, the team is seemingly stuck. As an ideal modern center that can stretch the floor, he possesses a fair amount of trade value and would be a valuable contribution to a playoff team.

    But Bamba is running out of time on his rookie contract to make Vucevic more expendable. Another stagnant season will leave the Magic more likely to part with Bamba — already Bamba became a favored prospect for trade rumors.

    The Magic though will eventually turn the page toward their future. And Bamba will have to play a big role in that. If he proves himself worthy.

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    President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman’s focus has been on constructing a roster based around length, athleticism, speed and defense. Bamba forms a key part of this, whereas Vucevic is not the type of player that fits with this style despite his wide set of skills.

    With the added firepower of new prospect Cole Anthony and the signing of exciting forward Chuma Okeke, the team is in a position where there is plenty of young talent on the roster. Jonathan Isaac’s injury has not helped matters, but the team looks geared toward the future if long-term deals can be agreed with Isaac and Markelle Fultz.

    The roster is split between players who should be challenging for the playoffs and younger prospects. If the Magic are content with a low playoff seed again this coming season, or potentially worse with several Eastern Conference teams improving, then the current roster is geared towards at least making the play-in tournament.

    Reaching the postseason to be eliminated in the first round again will do little for the team’s future, however.

    Bamba’s level of development next season will be a key factor as to whether the front office pulls the trigger and goes all-in on the future. He is a big part of this team’s future still.

    If he can make the improvements he needs to his game and establish himself as someone ready to be a starter, the Magic can look to trade Vucevic and start building the team more around Weltman’s vision.

    This is by no means an easy task, however. Bamba is still young and his stop-start beginning to life in the NBA has not made his development straightforward.

    The quick turnaround between last season’s finish and the new one starting is also unlikely to work in his favor given his conditioning struggles in the Bubble after contracting the coronavirus.

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    But Bamba has all the tools to become someone whose name is more synonymous with an outstanding level of basketball.