Magic rookie Mohamed Bamba learning to trust teammates, establish himself as rim protector
MINNEAPOLIS – A video image shared widely on social media during the past few days shows Orlando Magic rookie center Mohamed Bamba blocking a shot against the Charlotte Hornets.
The block highlighted what most expected Bamba to immediately deliver as he entered the NBA with a nearly 8-foot wingspan.
Most figured he would be a shot-blocking machine ruling the paint and daring players to come into his territory. He averaged four blocks per game during 30 games in one season at the University of Texas. Surely he would do something similar at the next level.
That, however, was an ill-conceived notion. Bamba’s shot blocking early in the season was virtually non-existent. His rebounding, a category in which he averaged 11 per game in college, was also less than desirable, but there are plenty of reasons for that, and coach Steve Clifford is quick to come to the defense of his young star.
Clifford said there is so much more to the NBA game that a big man has to learn and that judging Bamba simply by his number of blocked shots is way off base.
“I think so much of it is just being comfortable,” Clifford said. “What I’m not sure people grasp all of the time is … and you have to be careful how you say this, but [the] step up from college basketball is night and day.
“When you’re playing in college, you don’t have guys, like he’s had, coming at him. It’s a totally different game. I think when you talk to guys who are good shot blockers, and Dwight [Howard] used to talk about this, about gauging when to go, so that you’re not fouling all of the time. … For some people it’s very easy and for others it’s gonna take some time, but it’s one of the things he can be terrific at.”
That being said, however, Clifford acknowledges Bamba’s ability to eventually protect the rim was the whole point of drafting the versatile 7-footer.
“That’s why he was brought in here. That’s what he should be doing,” Clifford said.
One of the keys for Bamba and his transition to the NBA is realizing that he’s not alone on the floor when it comes to playing defense. The pick-and-roll game in the NBA is a much more cerebral part of playing defense.
So for Bamba, leaving his man to go after a shot does not mean he’s abandoning his assignment. There are players of equal caliber to back him up with help defense and he is beginning to understand he does have elite assistance playing at the professional level.
“He’s been doing that more and more as he gets more comfortable,” Clifford said. “He has a chance to be a terrific rim protector.”
Taking risks is part of the game, and Bamba just needs to realize he can get away with it.
Bamba knows he needs to step it up a notch and he’s eager to take that next step. He also knows that the better he plays, the more comfortable Clifford will become with giving him more minutes.
Bamba, of course, believes he’ll have a better chance to show off his progress with more minutes.
Teammate Jonathan Isaac, who is in his second season and has learned some of the same lessons, said everything will click for Bamba when he gets comfortable with trusting his teammates to have his back.