Orlando Magic: 3 takeaways from 2021 media day
By Luke Duffy
Orlando Magic media day takeaways: 3. The battle for the center spot
One of the more fascinating subplots from media day was the clear change in body type of both Wendell Carter Jr. and Mohamed Bamba. Two individuals who clearly used the offseason to lift some weights and work on their game. For both men, it is a huge season, as it will shape their future not only in Orlando but in the league as well.
Carter is eligible for an extension, and started life with the Magic well. He came in and immediately provided some consistency at the five that had been lacking since the departure of Nikola Vucevic, albeit in a totally different way. Bamba on the other hand will see this as a chance at a fresh start under new head coach Jamahl Mosley.
He looks to have packed on a ton of muscle, and as somebody who was never fully trusted by previous coach Steve Clifford, he has a golden opportunity to be the long-term solution for the Magic as their center. He too is eligible for an extension, and it will be interesting to see which direction the organization goes.
It is not often you get two players who play the same position, who are both eligible for extension and who could both lay claim to the starting role because it is there for the taking. Both Carter and Bamba have a fresh start because of being on a new team (Carter Jr.) and having a new head coach (Bamba), so both should be heading into this season with tons of optimism.
It will be interesting to see which direction the Magic leans. Carter is the more traditional big of the two, at a time when the likes of DeAndre Ayton have brought some old-school feel back to the position. Bamba probably has the higher ceiling as a guy who can do more on both ends, but this is a ceiling we have spoken about before, and which we have yet to see him get near. Expect Carter Jr. to start once the regular season begins, but Bamba will get his opportunities.