Orlando Magic: Grading Mohamed Bamba’s incomplete 2018-19

Highlights

It is hard to pick out individual games for Mohamed Bamba because his numbers were so pedestrian, but there are a couple that stick out. He had back-to-back 15-point games in November, a season high, in wins over the Washington Wizards and New York Knicks.

He also made two of the four 3-point attempts he shot across both games, and had a pair or blocks in each contest.

In the game against the Knicks, he also had eight rebounds (compared to just two against the Wizards). This was about as influential as Bamba got over a stretch of games, as he averaged roughly 18 minutes in both games (season average was 16.3).

Another noteworthy performance, but for different reasons, came in the impressive team win over the Utah Jazz during the two-game stint the Orlando Magic had down in Mexico (the other game was a win over the Chicago Bulls). Bamba only had nine points in the contest, but he also registered four blocks. It wasn’t just how he did on the court however.

The Magic had lost their previous two home games heading into the Mexico trip, to the Indiana Pacers and the Nuggets. To drop both games south of the border would have put them in a tough spot with the playoff race heating up. Instead Bamba stepped up and chipped in, albeit modestly, despite being in new territory.

His eight points against the Bulls, while contributing little else, was less impressive, but Bamba did go two-of-five from deep across the two games. These wins would go on to be even more important, with the Magic dropping their next four games once returning.

Bamba also grabbed 12 boards in a game against the Charlotte Hornets, a season high and one of only three occasions where he would go into double digits in that category.

In terms of individual highlights, and again it cannot be stressed enough that this was during the Summer League, but seeing he and Isaac swat the same shot away gave an exciting glimpse into the future for Magic fans, while likely terrifying opponents.

Granted the game didn’t matter, but if the two can combine to create some plays like that in the future and continue to improve their chemistry, they are going to work well together.