Thoughts on Mo Bamba?

Everyone knows big men take time, regardless of how tantalizing their skills are on paper. Bamba was never going to add 50 pounds in a year, so I expect the banging and physicality to take time for him to get used to. Clarke spent more time in college in a scenario where the Bulldogs really put him in positions where he could be useful and grow within their offense. He bloomed on his own time.

Bamba, on the other hand, will take time simply because he’s not even 20. I expect him to slowly accrue consistency over the course of the season, with more in game reps, lifting, familiarity with personnel, offensive and defensive sets. Like Fultz, it would be unwise to summarize his game to the sum of the few games he’s played in. You also note that Vucevic is taking lots of time from him in order to play through his mistakes and develop.

Patience will be the name of the game with Bamba. 

 Not tough enough. Big men who are successful in the NBA have a certain type of toughness, they are capable of playing physical, holding their ground. Even if they can shoot from the outside they don’t plant themselves 35 feet from the basket and treat the paint like it’s got a disease.

Bamba has tremendous potential, but it’s just that … from what I’ve seen, he is soft as a whole plate of warm butter. He lacks the toughness to be a good big man in the league.   Maybe he gets there someday, but he hasn’t gotten there yet.

 You gotta give the young bucks time. You said the same thing about Isaac.

I said Isaac had to make a shot … there was a time he shooting a dreadful percentage from the field and he’s still not exactly great for a guy who is 6’11. The jury is still very much out on him as far as I’m concerned.

 Isaac looks great tonight. The Isaac/Siakam matchup is real fun to watch.

As far as Bamba goes, Idk whats up with him…he does not look confident at all. Looks like he is thinking more thn he is acting, kinda a step slow. Hows your coach is he hard on the young guys because Bamba looks like hes got the soul sucked out of him for real. I think he knows his size will be taken advantage of and its limiting him from kinda doing anything else. But look at Chris Boucher, the guy may not even weigh 190 pounds but everytime he steps on the floor he contributes where he can, even if hes getting pushed around.

 As long as Vucevic is playing, Mo won’t be able to realize his potential.

 Drafts are always crap shoots…They are always coulda,shoulda or woulda’s…

But I will maybe offer this take on Picking MO Bamba. 

1) He was insurance if Nik V was bailing to Mavs-Which there was rumours of pre Porzingas…So the Magic took best available Big..

2) Big men take time see Giannis as what could happen if mentored correctly.. Also the Magic Gm is the ex Bucks Gm that drafted him…

3) Instead of being upset Orlando didn’t take Shai(Don’t get me wrong as an OKC fan I am happy we got him in PG Trade), Be happy you got Futlz  who I think the 76ers may regret letting go for so cheap for essentially a protected first or was it 2nd rounders and Johnathn Simmons.

Who could be almost as good as Shai if there is no injury or Mental issues(yips or Never gets over intial struggles). Also look at it this way The clippers could have had Porter JR and Shai(if No P.G trade happened) instead took a guy Jerome who is struggling to even crack the rotations. Which would almost sting as much as the Mo vs Shai choice..

4) Mo could play PF(stretch 4),C  or something random like SF if right weight out on.

5) Taking a player due to fitting system isn’t always best option as it may deter you from taking best player available and coaches get fired so often(magic have had how many coaches in last 5 seasons?). As the magic had to take B.A and deal with fit latter as they didn’t exactly have a full  cupboard at that point in terms of talent…

6) Defensive insticts can also look worse when you are put on the court with average players who’s mistakes you have to cover all the time…For example see when Steven Adams always had to cover Westbrooks lazyiness on that on end of the court making him look worse than he actually was…So if he looks trash when on the court with 4 other defensively solid players then we can maybe judge him a bit more…

Don’t get me wrong Taking Shai over Mo makes sense right now as it is mainly a guards league, But if he is developed correctly,Which with a high I.Q is possible you never know..So possibly revist this question in say 3-4 Seasons/years…If he still is very average then fair call I wouldn’t disagree with you.Because you don’t want to be saying I didn’t draft the next K.G(apparent comparrison)/A.D if does hit his ceiling.

 When the magic drafted bamba, I don’t think they thought that vucevic would be on the roster for much longer. I think the plan last season was for him to ease into more mins as the season went on and they would eventually trade Vuc or play him less as the season went on. But than he comes out and has a career year, and the magic surprise everyone and make the playoffs. The magic can’t play bamba down the stretch because he gets injured, plus he  isn’t ready yet and they are making a surprise playoff push. Than vuc gets rewarded with a long-term contract and is locked down as the starter at center for the foreseeable future. Kind of puts them in an awkward place with bamba. There really doesn’t seem to be that much of a pathway to playing time right now for him, and he needs to be on the floor to develop. 

I’m not sure what bambas trade value is right now, but if I’m Orlando I’d consider kicking the tires. This is still a very young lottery pick on his rookie deal with a ton of upside, even if he hasn’t shown much yet. The magic need wings and backcourt depth. 

 Mo is in rotation from the bench but playing around Vucevic, Gordon and Isaacs for frontcourt minutes. I’d noticed he’d hit a few 3 pointers but his main value IMO will be on defence. He needs to still add bulk as the stronger and heavier 4s and 5s will just outmuscle him.

Luckily Orlando’s GM John Hammond has always been a big fan of size and wingspan so I can see Mo being given time to try and develop.

 He’s looking like Hassem Thabeet 2.0

 Or he is becoming another Nerlens Noel!