Orlando Magic rookie center Mo Bamba will not play against the Utah Jazz due to a sore foot.
According to Eric Walden of the Salt Lake Tribune, Mo Bamba is listed active in the game. However, head coach Steve Clifford has no plan to play the Magic center because of the foot injury that has been bothering him.
Orlando’s Mo Bamba will be active tonight vs. the Jazz but will not play, according to Magic coach Steve Clifford, because of a sore foot.
— Eric Walden (@tribjazz) January 10, 2019
Bamba has played in the shadow of their big man Nikola Vucevic all season long. Vucevic has played like an All-Star this year, proving that he can be the centerpiece of a successful offensive system.
On the season, Vucevic is averaging 20.2 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 53.1 percent from the field and 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. He's carried this team under first-year head coach Steve Clifford.
Clifford employs Vucevic much akin to how Mike Malone and the Denver Nuggets use Nikola Jokic. They set up the offense with him on top of the key, running pick and roll actions along with hand-offs and wraps to get the Magic players open shots and cuts to the basket.
For Bamba, he's an understudy to Vucevic's breakout year. Though he might not have the same offensive skillset, he has the length and defensive IQ to bother opposing players at the rim.
So far, Bamba has averaged 6.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game while shooting 46.7 percent from the field.
The Magic will continue his development to prepare him to take on the starting role in the following year for the team.
Orlando is 17-23 on the season and sits 10th overall in the NBA's Eastern Conference.
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