Mo Bamba entered the draft as a high prospect. His stature and athleticism were impressive. He had an NBA Combine record wingspan of 7’9”. His main draft comparison was Rudy Gobert. Mo, predictably, went high and was picked 6th overall by the Orlando Magic. Many were skeptical about the overall fit of how Orlando would work with him on his development.
The results haven’t been great. Bamba has averaged 16 minutes a game in only two seasons. His performances have been average at best and overall he seems like he isn’t the player many thought he would be. However, he is far from a lost cause.
Player Development
Mo Bamba, being drafted high, should have gotten a good deal of attention in his development. The higher a player is selected, the more of an investment they are. Surprisingly though, Bamba has lacked playing time, which definitely plays a part in his growth. The best way to get better at playing NBA basketball is to play NBA basketball. His limited minutes didn’t necessarily stunt his growth but they didn’t help. It could be that he simply didn’t earn the minutes, in which case, you can’t blame the Magic coaching staff for not playing him.
Player development is hard on players and teams. Very few players can succeed without the right support around them. A team’s fit is just as important as talent in looking at how a player learns and grows in the league. Are the Magic the right team for a young talent like Mamba to develop? Probably not when looking at the last few years. However, that doesn’t mean things can’t change.
The Magic were in a difficult spot. They had some quality players like Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon, which made getting minutes hard for young players. Both players now play for other teams. The Magic elected to go in the direction of a hard rebuild instead of being a middle of the pack team. They decided to acquire young assets and be content with losing for a while, hoping for greater horizons further down the road.
This brings us back to Mo Bamba. Given the circumstances, Mo should see more playing time. The team is basically still tanking and Bamba should see the floor more than he ever has. If he doesn’t, then there is a real problem. The Magic will either need to trade him or let him walk in free agency. Many Bamba fans still advocate that his performance will improve if he is given more of a chance.
This Year
So far in this very young season, Bamba is averaging 27 minutes per game. His field goal percentage is up, he is rebounding more, and scoring twice as much. These all point to good things as he is beginning his fourth year. If he shows real potential, he can earn himself a decent contract, whether that be in Orlando or elsewhere.