Winners and losers from the NBA’s opening week in 2018-19
By Amaar Burton
Loser: Mo Bamba
As a team, the Orlando Magic have done well with a 2-2 record that includes a road win over the Boston Celtics and a one-point road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Individually, Bamba hasn’t made much of an impact. The No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft still might have the most upside of any player in this year’s rookie class, but after his first week of official NBA games it’s still more potential than production.
Bamba is blocking 2.0 shots per game, but he’s putting up only 4.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 42 percent from the field as a seven-foot center who has arms long enough to dunk on The Incredible Hulk.
Bamba went scoreless against Boston and Charlotte, and he only had one rebound against the Sixers.
The Magic are a young team facing low expectations at the moment. It’s not like there’s a lot of pressure on Bamba to hit the ground running right away, but his first few games have been awfully forgettable for such a uniquely talented player.