NBA Draft prospect Mohamed Bamba falls under the huge risk – high reward category.
Mohamed Bamba has some of the most ridiculous measurables in NBA Draft history, but an unpolished game and under-developed body are giving teams pause about his ability to translate his natural gifts into legitimate basketball skills.
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The list of measurements of Mohamed Bamba from the recent NBA combine read more like the description of a pterodactyl rather than a human being. 7’10” wingspan. 7’1 height, 225 lbs. 9’7″ standing reach.
He’s easily one of the most physically gifted athletes to ever pass through the NBA Draft, but even with his freakish tools, questions still plague his stock.
Can he adjust to the physicality of the NBA with such a skinny frame? Can he hang on the perimeter well enough defensively to survive the modernity of the league? Will he develop offensively enough to be at least an average player on that end?
Background:
Height: 7’1″
Weight: 225 lbs.
Wingspan: 7’10”
Position: Center
Age: 20 years old
College: Texas, Freshman
Stats:
- 12.9 points per game
- 10.5 rebounds per game
- .5 assists per game, shooting
- 54.1% from the field
- 27.5% from three
- 68.1% from the free throw line.
Hometown: Harlem, New York
Strengths
Defensive Dynamo
If not for Jaren Jackson Jr., Mo Bamba likely would have a case for best defender in this draft, at least at the college level. He uses his impossibly long wingspan and ridiculous athleticism to swat shots from everywhere in the paint and unlike most all-tools bigs like him, he’s shown real feel and ability on the defensive end.
He was one of the best shot blockers in the nation and registered a staggering 3.6 blocks per game for Texas this year, while also committing just 2.5 fouls per game. That kind of ratio paints the picture of a center who’s not only mastering rim protection but is doing so while playing smart, clean defense.
Watch in the clip below how sticks with fellow NBA prospect, Charles Matthews, just long enough to get a huge swat:
Those kinds of possessions should make NBA teams salivate over his potential. If Bamba can consistently become a weapon for whatever team takes him in the pick-and-roll defensively, his potential is sky-high.
Offensive Potential
What makes Mohamed Bamba such an interesting prospect is his potential development offensively. He’s not polished by any means but he’s flashed an interesting post-game which could be a weapon down the road and perhaps more enticingly, a shot from the perimeter which could make him a completely unprecedented NBA player.
To be sure, he shot just 27.5% from downtown this year and 68.1% from the free throw line, but he still showed at least some level of ability from the perimeter. But how he steps right into a three before confidently knocking it down:
This didn’t happen quite nearly enough this year and if we’re being honest, his penchant for taking (and missing) three’s grew frustrating as the season progressed. But if this can ever become a real tool for him down the line, he has a chance to become a true unicorn.
Weaknesses
Low Floor
Even though he has obvious potential and could be one of the most dominant bigs in the league, the problem is he doesn’t have much to fall back on. He’s a fine finisher around the basket and has some real skill on defense, but he’s still too raw on both sides to say that he can really rely that down the line.
And it’s not like we haven’t seen this story before in the NBA. From Hasheem Thabeet in 2009 (coincidentally to the Grizzlies to whom Bamba might fall this draft) to Kwame Brown in 2001 to Michael Olowokandi in 1998, the track record of freakishly athletic raw bigs entering the NBA is dicey.
Think of Bamba as a “fixer-upper” house; he has attractive qualities like high ceilings and great natural light, sure, but the foundation upon which he’s built is sinking and if there are not serious fundamental changes, the whole thing could come tumbling down.
Honors and Awards
- Second-team All-Big 12 (2018)
- Big 12 All-Defensive Team (2018)
- Big 12 All-Newcomer Team (2018)
- McDonald’s All-American (2017)
Pro Comparisons
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Mo Bamba’s range of comparisons is truly something to behold. He’s been compared from everyone to Rudy Gobert with a three-pointer to Hasheem Thabeet 2.0 to modern-day Ralph Sampson, but the one that seems most likely is a similarly freakishly athletic center, DeAndre Jordan.
Both players are tremendous rim protectors with more offensive skill than they get credit for, and help teams win, ableit in specific ways.
Rankings
- DraftExpress/ESPN: 5th
- NBA DraftNet: 4th
- CBS Sports: 7th
- Sports Illustrated: 5th
- Bleacher Report: 4th
- Basketball Insiders: 7th
- The Ringer Kevin O’Connor: 4th
Fit with OKC Thunder
Bamba’s fit with the Thunder is detrimental to both sides. On Bamba’s, he likely would have to battle established players like Steven Adams and Jerami Grant for minutes at the center position, and his chances of winning are fairly slim.
On the Thunder’s side, they have enough viable front court options that introducing a lottery pick at the center position doesn’t quite make sense if they might not be better than even Jerami Grant for a few years.
Next: The enigma Trae Young – deciphering superstar potential
If I were Sam Presti, I’d be hesitant to give up anything for Mo Bamba unless I were sure that he would be an immediately impactful player.