The Orlando Magic’s newest addition to the team gives the franchise much-needed hope that it could right the ship as soon as next season. That’s Mo Bamba; the team’s no. 6 pick during Thursday’s NBA Draft in Brooklyn.
Bamba stands seven-feet tall with a wingspan of 7-foot-10 that seems to belong in a prehistoric period.
With his size and length, Bamba definitely has the tools to eventually establish himself as one of the scariest rim protectors in the NBA – the same way Rudy Gobert is for the Utah Jazz and Anthony Davis is for the New Orleans Pelicans.
In addition to those tangible qualities, Bamba does seem to have the right aggressive mindset heading to his rookie season, saying that he believes in himself becoming an elite shaded-area figure in the league, per John Denton of NBA.com.
“One difference between me and any other prospect in this class is presence,’’ said Bamba, a Harlem native whose parents migrated to America two-plus decades ago from the Ivory Coast. “If I’m plugged into the NBA right now – I don’t want to be cocky when I say this – but I feel I’d be one of the best rim protectors in the league as a rookie. It’s something that I’ve really tried to master early in my career and it’s only going to get better.’’
In his one season with the Texas Longhorns, Bamba treated basketball fans to a shot-blocking clinic and opponents brave enough to drive against him to a horror show. He averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. He was the biggest reason why opposing teams shot just 30.0 percent at the rim against Texas. If their shots were not being erased by Bamba, they were being forced to alter their shots just to get around and over the big man’s reach.
Orlando was second worst in the league last season with 48.3 points in the paint allowed per game, but with Bamba in the Magic’s fold, things are expected to change for the better in terms of interior defense for the team.
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