Phoenix Suns: 5 options for pick No. 1 in 2018 NBA Draft
5. Mohamed Bamba, C — Texas
Mohamed Bamba? You might know him better as the Texan pterodactyl who roamed the skies for the Longhorns this season. Armed with a gargantuan 7’9″ wingspan, this seven-footer is teeming with defensive potential after averaging 3.7 blocks in 30.2 minutes per game this season. That’s just under five blocks per 40 minutes.
Bamba’s offense is usually described as raw, but he still averaged 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in his one year in college. He’s also been working hard on his jumper, which is the final step for this 20-year-old to reach a ceiling that might exceed that of any player in this year’s draft class.
Not only has Bamba spent time with Joel Embiid himself, but he’s worked with a trainer that helped Embiid grow into “The Process” we know him to be now. That’s not a guarantee Bamba will ever become that same caliber of player, but the Suns need a defensive anchor after finishing 30th in defensive rating last year.
He wouldn’t be too shabby of a pick if all he panned out to be is a longer, taller version of Clint Capela, holding down the defensive end and serving as a rim-running alley-oop threat on offense. Not many NBA athletes can stop ridiculousness like this either:
Bamba would be an exceptionally risky pick though, which the Suns can ill-afford in a summer dedicated to making Booker’s life easier and implementing a winning culture right away. Phoenix fans are more than disenfranchised by boom-or-bust prospects thanks to disappointing sophomore seasons from Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender.
However, too many times we’ve seen teams stick with the projected top picks and ignore the ceilings of projects that become NBA superstars. Just look at Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry or Donovan Mitchell as recent examples.
If Bamba can become a stretch-5, he has the defensive versatility, footwork and shot-blocking instincts to become a legitimate two-way terror. The Ringer‘s description of him as a potential “3-point shooting Rudy Gobert” makes him a pretty fascinating dark horse for the No. 1 overall pick.