Orlando Magic: 3 players who will benefit from new head coach

Orlando Magic players that will benefit: 1. Mohamed Bamba

The clear answer to this question, and isn’t even close. If ever there was a player who needed a coaching shakeup to show what he is capable of, it is center Mohamed Bamba. We got glimpsed last season after Nikola Vucevic was traded to the Chicago Bulls.

Unfortunately for Bamba, another young center came back in that deal as well. Wendell Carter Jr. landed in Orlando and had a bigger impact after the trade was made than Bamba did. Crucially, however, Bamba also finally showed some consistency and promise, playing some of the best basketball of his still-young career.

Admittedly the bar wasn’t very high, but it was great to see nonetheless. Bamba is entering his third season, and at this stage last year it looked like he’d come along that bit too late for the Magic. Clifford wanted to win, he had the players to make a postseason push and the development of Bamba did not figure in the immediacy for the organization.

It always felt like Clifford just couldn’t trust Bamba on the court either, yanking him before he could ever build up a head of steam. But coach Mosley is going to give Bamba a chance, especially after showing he was not a lost cause once Vucevic was gone. The fact the two are already working together as well is hugely encouraging.

Carter Jr. complicates things and may ultimately win the battle between the two. He’s off to a nice start and fans were quick to get behind him last year as well. If the Magic draft another center in the lottery then the mountain gets even tougher to navigate for Bamba. But while the writing was very clearly on the wall for Bamba under Clifford, the introduction of Mosley represents a fresh coaching staff to try and impress.

The fact he is already in the gym as well means he is taking this offseason seriously to try and improve in a number of areas. DeAndre Ayton, taken first overall in the same draft as Bamba, has created a roadmap for more traditional bigs in the playoffs this year. Bamba would do well to follow it.