Orlando Magic big man Mo Bamba has great length and is incredibly athletic, but one area in which he could use some improvement is his strength.
Well, apparently, Bamba is hard at work on that and has gained 20 pounds of muscle:
“I’m roughly 240 (pounds) now and honestly it feels good to play at this weight because your bumps are more (effective) and you’re getting to spots easier,” said Bamba, according to John Denton of the Magic's official team website. “Trust me, there’s still a ways to go, but it feels good.’’
Bamba saw his rookie year end prematurely due to a stress fracture in his tibia. During the 47 games he was on the floor, he averaged 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks over 16.3 minutes per game while shooting 48.1 percent from the floor, 30.0 percent from 3-point range and 58.7 percent from the free-throw line.
The 21-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at the University of Texas, was originally selected by the Magic with the sixth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft:
“I can’t fit the same jeans as last year because it’s a little tight,” added Bamba. “But (his left leg) feels good. A lot of post work comes from your trunk & lower body, so it just feels good to be able to hold your own (on the low block).”
Bamba spent one year at Texas, appearing in 30 contests and registering 12.9 points, 10.5 boards and 3.7 blocks across 30.2 minutes a night while making 54.1 percent of his field goal attempts, 27.5 percent of his long-distance tries and 68.1 percent of his foul shots.
With the Magic bringing back fellow big man Nikola Vucevic, Bamba will likely have to come off the bench for Orlando most of next season, but having him back in the rotation will solidify the frontcourt and make what was actually a very good Magic defense in the second half of this past year even better.
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