Orlando Magic: Has Mohamed Bamba already arrived?

After a stellar first game and an impressive preseason, Orlando Magic rookie Mohamed Bamba looks the part of potential star. Can he continue this progression?

Remember just last year when the Orlando Magic shot above 45 percent for the first 12 games of the season and were 8-4 on Nov. 10? Well if you do, then you definitely remember them losing their next nine games in a row and going back to being the Magic we all know and love/hate.

Overreacting to a handful of early games is not smart for NBA fans, writers, mascots or anyone else to do. However, when it comes to the promising play of Mohamed Bamba after five total games (four preseason, one regular), this overreaction might be warranted.

For the four games he played in the preseason, Bamba averaged 11.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He shot 58.6 percent from the field, including going 5-for-10 from 3-point range. Oh yeah, and he did this all only averaging 20.5 minutes a game as well.

In his first professional regular season game, Bamba posted a stat line of 13 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in 25 minutes. He also shot 6-for-8 from the floor and 1-for-2 from 3. He was also a +13 in plus/minus and committed zero turnovers.

If you’re not a person that trusts box score stats, trust this, Bamba was the best big on the court for the Magic Wednesday night against the Miami Heat, and it wasn’t even close.

The game was in Miami’s favor early with poor interior defense from Nikola Vucevic. The Heat were firmly in control as Evan Fournier was jacking and missing, and the Orlando offense had zero rhythm. It was a completely different story once the bench unit came on.

Every player in the second unit posted a double-digit positive in the plus/minus category and came ready to play. The energy difference was palpable and led to the Magic taking a five-point lead going into halftime after being down six at the end of the first frame. The chemistry in the Jerian Grant–Terrence Ross–Jonathon Simmons-Gordon-Bamba lineup is what propelled them to victory, and hopefully head coach Steve Clifford recognizes this.

Bamba had everything to do with this victory, as he was crashing the offensive boards hard for easy put-back dunks, taking advantage of a length mismatch against Kelly Olynyk, pick-and-rolling/popping effectively with Grant and knocking down shots from all over the court. He was composed, yet fiery. He was in control, yet thundering and his presence impacted the game more than any other starter’s did besides Aaron Gordon.

The rub on Bamba going into the draft was that, with his wiry frame and lack of strength, he would need some adjustment to the NBA. This isn’t unwarranted, as adding strength will be key for his development. He did get busted up a bit by Joel Embiid in the first preseason game, but he’s perhaps the best center in the league so, I wouldn’t read into that too much.

However, this supposed rawness has not debuted yet. Bamba has looked comfortable in every situation thus far. His shot has looked smooth, he isn’t intimidated by bigger guys in the paint and his offensive skills are solid thus far. Defensively, he has rebounded well and knows how to guard out to 20 feet and inside. He looks every bit the budding star the Magic thought he could be when they drafted him sixth overall this past June.

The aspect of Bamba’s game that separates him from the other rookies in his class is his basketball IQ. Not once, in his five games in a Magic uniform, has he seemed out of place. He is in the right position defensively, always near the rim for boards and is also able to defend on the perimeter. Offensively, he attacks the rim with precision and is there for put-backs. His ability to knock down jumpers consistently thus far has allowed him to both roll and pop off screens and makes him a nightmare matchup for slower bigs.

While Bamba’s strength leaves something to be desired, look at someone like Joel Embiid or Giannis Antetokounmpo when they first came into the league. Strength can be built over time, but what Bamba already has in his arsenal from a skill perspective is incredible.

He has guard skills and is 7’1”. He can effectively put the ball on the floor and attack the rim. He can create off the dribble and passes well for a big man. He can shoot from all over the floor. He has solid post moves and can hit a turnaround jumper. He can defend 3-5. The man truly might be a unicorn.

A lot of people in Orlando see Bamba as a potential franchise cornerstone, someone to instill faith in the team again. That’s a heavy shoulder load for a 19-year-old, but he seems up to for the challenge. The thought of having Bamba, Jonathan Isaac and Gordon clogging up the paint and throwing down slams has to leave Magic fans salivating.

He has also earned the trust of his teammates thus far, as Gordon told Orlando Pinstriped Post after the game:

"“He’s a super athlete, he’s so talented and it’s good to know that you have that much talent with you,’’ Aaron Gordon told reporters after the game. “He makes plays where you’re like, `Whoa! I don’t even know if I can make that play.’ That’s the type [of player] that lets you know that we’ve got something special in him.”"

The Magic have something special in Mo Bamba and if he can stay healthy this season, he has all the makings of a super impactful player. He’s already pushed the incumbent starting 5, Nikola Vucevic, for playing time given that Bamba played 25 minutes on Wednesday and Vucevic played 28. Look for this trend to continue and for Bamba to potentially overtake the starting role at some point. He’s ready, folks.