The Orlando Magic took a step in the right direction when they drafted Mo Bamba, one of the most unique prospects to ever come to the NBA.
Per EuroHoops' Drazen Kanazir, Magic big man Nikola Vucevic had plenty of praise for his new teammate.
“I only watched a little bit of Summer League; his athleticism is great, his length. He has things that you can’t really teach. He will need a bit of time but I think he’s going to be a big player. I look forward to working with him and help him as much as I can.”
Bamba is coming off a one-year stint with the Texas Longhorns, a season in which he posted impressive averages of 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as a freshman.
The center is an extraordinary physical specimen thanks to his out-of-this-world 7-foot-10 wingspan.
On that insane Mo Bamba dunk, he got the ball as high as the Dwight sticker from the '09 dunk contest and nearly a foot higher than that insane Giannis posterizaion of Aron Baynes from October. image h/t @esidery pic.twitter.com/BDyB9T0hkk
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) December 6, 2017
You're certainly right, Mr. Vucevic. That is something you cannot teach at all. Bamba has the gifts and talent to be one of the league's best defensive stoppers, and Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer would attest to that.
“Bamba’s defense is the foundation for the rest of his career. His endless arms allow him to rack up deflections, steals, blocks, shot alterations, and maybe even the ability to tie his shoes without leaning over. He’s equally stellar at blocking shots with either of his hands, and does a good job of staying vertical and not fouling. His excellent timing to take off for attempts only makes him more of a menace around the rim—and on the perimeter, where he’s tallied four blocks on 3-point attempts this season.”
Not only does Bamba have the size and athleticism, he also has impressive innate defensive instincts.
With that said, both the offensive-minded Vucevic and the defense-oriented Bamba can learn a lot from each other come September when training camp officially starts.
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