The Magic are coming to something of a crossroads with Mohamed Bamba, writes Josh Robbins of The Athletic.
The former No. 6 overall pick has only started six games in three years, with five of them coming in the final 24 games of last season, after the Magic traded the team’s long-standing linchpin, Nikola Vucevic, to the Bulls. Of course, those starts only came when Wendell Carter Jr., who came back from Chicago in the deal, wasn’t playing.
With Bamba entering the final year of his rookie contract, Robbins talks to NBA scouts about the future for the big man.
“Talent-wise, he has a ceiling that he could be really good if he’s locked-in,” one scout said. “He has a chance, but I don’t know if his motor will let him get there.”
In examining Bamba’s strengths, Robbins quotes the big man’s 91st-percentile for percentage of opposing teams’ shots blocked, as well as his burgeoning jumpshot, but scouts worry that his tools are far ahead of his defensive instincts and reactivity. One scout says that Orlando may ultimately be better served to let another team try to develop Bamba once his rookie deal expires. However, Robbins observes that a new coach and system could be huge for his development, and that the team still seems at least relatively committed to him.
We have more news from around the Southeast Division:
- In a similar piece from earlier this month, Robbins talked to scouts about Cole Anthony, who, like Bamba, faces a similar uncertainty given the Magic‘s depth at the point guard spot. The scouts came away more impressed with Anthony’s ability to get into the paint and play with physicality than expected, especially on the offensive glass, but almost unanimously said his lack of vision as a playmaker and his limitations defensively will probably keep him from becoming a starting point guard for a good team.
- Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun-Sentinel believes that it’s possible we see a mid-season send-off for lifelong Heat veteran Udonis Haslem, he writes in a recent mailbag. He also says Haslem may have been biding his time and waiting for the perfect moment to get his big farewell.
- In a separate piece, Winderman calls Kevin Love‘s recently-reported disinterest in a buyout “pure posturing,” while saying the Heat would likely be interested, especially with a bit of a hole at the power forward position. However, he’s unsure if Miami currently holds the “contender” status in the eyes of players that could woo Love over a team like the Lakers or Warriors.
Lakers need fast break points. Love and Rondo can help?
They already have westbrook lebron Ad THT and monk? They don’t NEED more
Everyone always overlooks Nunn…Don’t be surprised when he really flourishes next to LeBron, and when he ends up looking like one of the biggest steals of the off-season.
I saw the Nunn pickup and immediately noticed how underrated that was of an LA add & MIA loss. When I saw the $$$ I was wondering why GSW/more teams weren’t linked to him.
Seems like Nunn is the type you try to sell the dream of a young core around Nunn/Poole/Moody/Kuminga/Wiseman group, with Steph&Klay in 24mpg catch-&-shoot roles/rich man’s Redick & Korver, and Looney just sorta chillin.
Maybe Wigs signs a deal half as big as his current one if he doesn’t get traded. He’s not worth $30m obviously but he is a solid $15m+ player.
Thing is-nobody values him as much as GSW. Their core is old and not getting younger.
Wigs is a 26yo top tier athlete that can run for 40+ minutes if the need arises, whereas I don’t think they can count on Klay or an aging Draymond for that. Wigs can be their young hustling dog, and hopefully he has an even better season that last year now that he gets a full non-COVID summer/training camp. Same with Poole & JTA.
But oof, Nunn with this dubs team and leading that 2nd unit as Nunn/Poole/JTA/Bjelicia/Wiseman(with Lee/Porter/Iggy/Moody/Kuminga rotating in?)
That’s nice and twice as good as last year’s team, where the bench at the end of the season was limited to Poole/JTA/Mulder in that 8man rotation for the last 8 weeks of the reg season
Nunn and Mulder is the same type of player. shoots 3s and plays in a rotation defense. Miami gave up on him because of his defense. Nunn is nothing more than a bench player for offense.
Yeah, Nunn might turn out to be there 3rd best player.
Fast break is the one they can do better than anyone else. The sheer size of James and Davis on the run with the skills they have is impossible to stop. Even last season they were great in transition. It half court that sinks them. So does Love help halfcourt? I think he would. Plus his outlet passing is tops so he helps the transition game in that aspect
Magic will extend Wendell Carter 4-75 & bamba 4-45/50
They need to stay above that salary cap floor, so might as well.
ORL would be better off with Mo at min!
Don’t get Bamba at all. He should be where Mitch is or close to it. By now as a D big. I like Carter cause he can also play as C in small ball.
What, injured?
Bamba will definitely get more chances. I’d think any team that hasn’t had him yet and has a roster spot would be interested. Sure it’s a lottery ticket but sometimes you win.
Mitch McGary?
Bamba’s injury + covid has a lot to do with that. Some of it is maturity, but health has been more of a factor to why his development has been slow.
Despite that, there are enough jaw dropping moments where his potential impact is just way too tantalizing to consider writing him off.
This will be Bamba’s first healthy offseason of his career. As we all know, the summer is the most crucial period for a young player’s individual development.
While Carter might be further along and the better player now, he remains limited by size and skillset.
If Bamba stays healthy, I think he has a good shot at taking the starter role away from Carter this season.
Well he’s coming into his fourth yr. Magic have to take responsibility for this too. He’s making 7.5 mill and is due 10 mill next yr. If they pick up option. And how far along is he. When you draft for upside. Like most teams do now (19 yr olds). Then you have to develop a player. Or why take him right.
It’s not Orlando’s fault that a fractured leg sidelined him for 10 months.
It’s also not their fault that a global pandemic shut down the NBA…and it’s not their fault that Bamba caught Covid and suffered long term effects that impacted him from the Bubble all the way through much of last season.
When he has been healthy, Orlando HAS played him as their primary backup C…this despite being very raw physically and developmentally:
• 18-19: he played 16.3 mpg in 47 games…the rest he was out with leg fracture.
• 19-20: he played 14.2 mpg in 63 of the 73 Magic games…he was out with Covid in the rest.
• 20-21: he played 15.8 mpg in 46 of the 72 Magic games…the rest he was either held out by medical staff because of Long-Covid or he was held out by the NBA because he failed Covid protocol. After the Vucevic trade his minutes jumped to 20-25 range and he even started a handful of games.
That $10m you speak of is actually a Qualifying Offer. Once ORL gives him the QO he becomes their restricted free agent and they can let the market set his price.
Bamba can take the $10m QO (which is essentially a 1yr contract) and be an unrestricted free agency in the following 2023 free agency…but it’s extremely rare for players to do that, for obvious reasons.
I think so many people are wrong on Cole Anthony. He’s going to be a really good starting point guard and potentially an all star one day.
Going from college to the NBA he put up, 18.5-6-4 shooting 38-35-75 to in the NBA 13-5-4 shooting 40-34-83. That’s also in 8 minutes less time per game.
Yes he isn’t elite as a shooter, or as a playmaker but he’s a dawg. He plays physical, he gets inside, he’s a leader and he gives you his all. Reminds me of Donovan Mitchell or rookie year DeAaron Fox.
I kinda hope he does get traded because Orlando as a franchise suck. Not to mention they have Suggs, himself and Fultz at the 1 spot and neither is a great outside shooter.
Thought he’d be great for the blazers as they need a back up behind Dame, plus Cole is from Portland and his old man Greg played for them too.
If not there, Houston could be a fit. They are in a rebuild and haven’t found the future point yet. I think Coles mentality and attitude would fit in really well with Jalen Green, KPJ and those dawgs over there.
I’m a fan of Cole, but this is a stretch. It’s hard to see him as a starting PG on a good team. He has very poor passing instincts and mind boggling bad shot selection. He’d have to make a serious improvement on those fronts for that to be feasible. IMO right now he looks like he could eventually be a solid rotation piece / 6th man type on a good team.
Also, Cole grew up in NYC. He was born in Portland but his dad was traded within months of his birth. + Blazers already have Anfernee Simons behind Lillard.
Firstly Simons is kinda mud.
Secondly I disagree I think Cole will be great.
Spida Mitchell isn’t much of a passer and isn’t an elite shooter either. Both have developed there games under the help of Chris Brickley and will continue to get better. Cole as a rookie on a bad team took some very bad looks but that offence as a while sucked and he didn’t have much help. It’s not like it’ll get any better next year either with 3 young guards an no go to scorer. However if he was to get traded I think in a better offence he would take a bunch of better looks and do well
Simons is not mud.
In fact, there is only an 11 month difference between Simons and Cole; yet Simons is a much more efficient scorer, a way better 3PT shooter, and a much better facilitator…and he did it within a winning context.
Cole scored 17.1 PT per36 on an abysmal .496 TS% on a tanking team in the Eastern Conference …and vs most teams resting their key guys when they faced ORL.
Simons put up 16.4 PT per36 on an efficient .589 TS% + he shot .426 from 3PT on a Western Conference playoff team.
If Simons is mud, then what is Cole?
You can’t be seriously comparing Cole to Spida…Mitchell put up 20.5 ppg as a rookie, and he did it as the primary ball handler on a very good 2nd round Western Conference playoff team. I like Cole, but putting him in that tier is absolutely ridiculous.
Also, ORL isn’t going to trade Cole…at least not for reasons you want. He will play plenty as ORL plans on running a lot of 3 guard lineups with multiple ball handlers.
• Starters:
Suggs
Fultz
Ross or Harris
Isaac
WCJr or Bamba
• Rotation:
Cole
Hampton
Harris or Ross
Okeke
Bamba or WCJr
+ it’s very likely Ross or Harris will be traded at some point which will open up minutes for guards and also Franz Wagner.
Davion, nooooooo!
Cole is not best suited to organized BB.
They got Suggs Hampton & MCW, they’re done there, so yes, try Rockets.
HEY Bas.Ref. has 2022 rosters up.
Nah, he will play plenty as ORL plans on running a lot of 3 guard lineups with multiple ball handlers.
MCW is hurt and will be out for months into season + he wasn’t taking anyone’s minutes anyhow.
• Starters:
Suggs
Fultz
Ross or Harris
Isaac
WCJr or Bamba
• Rotation:
Cole
Hampton
Harris or Ross
Okeke
Bamba or WCJr
+ it’s very likely Ross or Harris will be traded at some point which will open up more minutes for guards and also Franz Wagner.
Is Mo Bamba related to Yinka Dare?