Mo Bamba, the No.6 overall pick of the Orlando Magic in the 2018 NBA Draft, had a rather uninspired and injury-shortened rookie season. Bamba was only able to play in 47 games in his rookie year due to a left tibia fracture, and when he did play, he was not overly effective as a pick-and-pop threat on offense or rim-protecting force on defense.
Despite the less-than-stellar rookie campaign of Bamba, the Magic were able to make it to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2012, thanks in large part to Nikola Vucevic and a stellar coaching from Steve Clifford — who instilled his defensive values into the team
Sadly, due to his injury, Bamba was unable to enjoy the fruits of his team’s newfound success with any consistency. However, according to Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman, Bamba has packed on muscle and is devoted to making an impact with the Magic next season.
“Mo has embraced all of the extra work that was put on his plate from the day he was sidelined. And I think our coaching staff and Coach Clifford did a great job with him to have him grow in ways that he might not have been able to had he not been injured,” Weltman told Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
“And now he’s back and he’s on the court working out and he’s added a lot of weight. He’s committed himself to having a great summer. I think seeing J.I. do it last year was a good example for Mo to see and to see how that translated onto the court. Mo’s off to a very good summer.”
Bamba is one of the most highly rated prospects of the 2018 NBA Draft. While he failed to live up to expectations in his rookie year, he still has the tools to be one of the best defensive big man in the league. If he returns healthy and bulkier next year, there's no doubt he'll have the chance to be successful — especially should Vucevic decide to leave the team in free agency.
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