Hoops Habit
Fansided

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) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 6
Next
(Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /

2. Lead Magic in defensive rating

We are now approaching the kind of goals that, if successful, would make Bamba one of the Magic’s best rookies in recent memory. We already know he’s going to be good defensively, so much so that you could argue he’s a better defensive player than Biyombo already.

We saw a small showing of what he was capable of in Summer League, and when paired next to Isaac, the frontcourt tandem looked so promising and exciting. But how about having the best defensive rating on the entire roster by season’s end?

It may seem a tall task, until you realize this is an organization that is not blessed with high-level defensive talent right now. Simmons may have a bounce-back year and be great defensively for the Magic. He may not start every game though, which makes this tougher for him.

Then again, neither will Isaac, but you have to think the Magic will have a better rating when he is on the court, as opposed to somebody like Vucevic. Below are the defensive ratings Orlando had when various players were on the court last season, to give some kind of reference for the task facing Bamba.

  • Nikola Vucevic – 106.5
  • Khem Birch – 104.5
  • Jonathan Isaac – 101.1
  • Bismack Biyombo – 110.4
  • Jonathon Simmons – 110.9

The Magic ranked 20th in this category overall last year, allowing 107.7 points per 100 possessions. So of the players mentioned, only Birch, Isaac and Vucevic made the team better when they were on the court. This of course says nothing about who they were playing with either, which is relevant.

Can Bamba ultimately come to this team in year one and post the best defensive rating? It is a tough task, especially because he will likely spend a lot of time on the court with Isaac and so both their numbers should benefit from playing with one another.

But if Birch, a nice find from Europe last season, can come in and make as big a difference as he did (despite only playing in 42 games and averaging 13.8 minutes a night), then there’s no reason Bamba can’t either. A tough ask here, but not an impossible one.

Home/Orlando Magic