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Orlando Magic: 5 goals for Mohamed Bamba’s rookie season

By Luke Duffy

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Mohamed Bamba #5 of the the Orlando Magic poses for a photo during the 2018 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Mohamed Bamba #5 of the the Orlando Magic poses for a photo during the 2018 NBA Rookie Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Michelle Farsi/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images)
(Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images) /

5. Take two 3-pointers per game

We begin with an area where Bamba may be able to provide some unexpected help early on. We say this because there is no doubt he is going to have a bigger impact defensively than offensively, at least initially.

Bamba flashed a nice shooting stroke during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, making two out of his four long range shots.

Orlando is going to need help in this category from all areas. The Magic ranked 28th in 3-point shooting last season (35.1 percent), which was somehow an improvement on the 32.8 percent they averaged the season before that (ranking 29th).

It is unfair to expect Bamba to be an influence when it comes to shooting from deep straight away. But there is also no denying that modern big men are able to step out and hit a jumper (fellow center Nikola Vucevic has continued to expand his range in recent seasons).

With more spacing on the court than years gone by as a result of Isaac, Aaron Gordon, Terrence Ross and Evan Fournier, Bamba will have some openings to take a shot. If he could take two per game, regardless of how many go in, it would be a promising start.

Thinking about the long-term here, this may be one of the last seasons when winning games isn’t a high priority for Orlando. So why not let Bamba get comfortable with taking shots from deep now, so the team can reap the rewards later?

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