Orlando Magic: Complete 2018 offseason grades

Drafting Mohamed Bamba

A lot of 2018 NBA mock drafts and team-need projections had Oklahoma point guard Trae Young going to the Magic, a team that not only had an obvious need at that position, but was also starving for a marketable star to put at the forefront as the face of the franchise.

Young, who led college basketball in scoring and assists as a freshman and is already being compared to Stephen Curry and Steve Nash, seemed like an ideal fit.

But the Atlanta Hawks also needed a player like Young, and their pick came up before Orlando. So with Young unavailable at No. 6, some would say the Magic had to “settle” for Mohamed Bamba.

Others would argue that Bamba is really the best fit for this Orlando team — and he just happens to have the most upside of any player in the 2018 draft class.

The seven-foot center averaged 12.9 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as a freshman at Texas. He shined even brighter against some of the Longhorns’ toughest competition, such as a 22-point, 15-rebound, eight-block stat line against Kansas, and an 18-rebound effort against Young’s Oklahoma squad.

In his previous job, Magic general manager John Hammond helped build the Milwaukee Bucks roster, a team that is known for its length and versatility. It wouldn’t be farfetched to believe Hammond’s 2018 first round target was always Bamba, who has a 7’10” wingspan, runs sprint drills faster than some of the league’s fastest guards, and has been looking good shooting 3-pointers during offseason workouts.

With that being said, remember that Bamba is just 20 years old, with one year of college experience, and he’s now on a pro team that is itself looking for an identity.

Bamba could be an immediate impact player vying for Rookie of the Year, or it could take him a couple of years to grow into a productive center in the league.

As an investment for the future though, Bamba was a great choice for the Magic.

Grade: A