Spoiler:
fendilim wrote:Blue_and_Whte wrote:fendilim wrote:Well, bsed on the interviews with Welman/ Hammond, they seem to be going to picking lengthy players, because they think it will be the next trend in the NBA. Especially with KD and the rise of Giannis, Davis and unicorns like Ben and Embiid.
I really don't think Isaac and Mamba are cornerstone pieces, but I do think they will at least have a solid career in the league. Isaac is getting there, while Bamba I think has shown flashes but a lot of his struggles are really because of his lack of strength.
I wholeheartedly disagree with you. Strength is an issue for most NBA rookies but a lot of them still find ways to contribute in some way. A lot of his struggles are self inflicted in that he tends to coast through games and not be aggressive. Its why I kept saying "he does nothing good or bad" and it seems as though Cliff saw the same thing when he had to tell him to be aggressive, not to mention scouting reports pointed to his low motor, showing disinterest, lacking aggressiveness.WEAKNESSES -Thin in his lower body. Still only 216 pounds. Not a very physical guy. -Motor really runs hot and cold. Looks disinterested at times. Walks around, doesn't jog off the court when subbed out. -Needs to play with more toughness to maximize his defensive potential. Gets posted up without much resistance. Defensive fundamentals have room to improve. Bites on fakes. Doesn't take great angles on the perimeter. - Source: http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Mohamed-Bamba-91224/ ©DraftExpress
https://thefrontofficeeye.com/2018/04/10/mo-bamba-scouting-report/One concern I have is his motor. He paces himself from time to time and transition can be an issue, although when he wants to run he can run well.
https://theloopsports.com/2018/05/26/bulls-mo-bamba-scouting-report/While physically there is no question Bamba has it all (provided he adds some weight), there are questions about his motor and physicality.
https://www.nbadraft.net/players/mohamed-bambahe should have been more aggressive at times while playing for the Longhorns ... A solid athlete, but much of his wow factor is due to length and not explosiveness or leaping ability .
http://www.nbascoutingreport.net/player-profiles-mo-bamba.htmlWeaknesses
Motor/Effort level (could improve)
Strength (thin frame @ 225 lbs)
Shot selection
Aggressiveness
Turnovers
Efficiency
Limited offensively
I dont think strength has any correlation to improving motor. As stated before I really hope this isn't another Payton scenario where they had to ask him to be more aggressive because when he is aggressive he's effective on both sides. If you go to those sites I listed almost all of the talking points on "Strengths" refer to potential and "having the physical tools" to hopefully one day....
Yes, his motor is an issue, and leaves a lot to be desired.
But there were also some instances where he was simply being pushed out of the paint, or being overpowered by opposing bigs, thats why he ends up with forced shots inside the paint. Its also difficult to get yourself in the position when you're not really strong enough. If you're a perimeter player, you can get away with it more often. But Bamba isn't just playing against 6'0", he's also playing against more muscular players with the same height as his.
As a rookie, I don't expect much from Bamba. Bamba can get away with his motor now merely because of his length, IMO. He doesn't have to chase every shot. Maybe causing deflections, or disrupting the opponent from getting a rebound, but this is clearly not the case right now. There were instances where opposing SFs would guard him, and he'd still get pushed around.
To me, Bamba's career, will be predicated on his ability to gain weight and get stronger. if he can do that, he'll be a good player. His length is pretty much useless if he gets pushed out of position.
Perhaps our expectation of Bamba as a rookie is different. I never expected him to contribute right away. He is more of a project. He already had difficulty with the physicality of the game during summer league, I did not expect him to adapt to a higher intensity after 6 months.
If i was as underdeveloped as he is physically.... i wouldn't be trying to throw what weight i had around either. lol. That was well known by everyone. It's hard to assert yourself when weight as much as most small forwards and you're a center. Needless to say I do see POSSIBLE correlation between his hesitance/motor and his weight. Kinda like how whiteside came into the league as a rail and then became efficient as his strength grew. Shoot... he was barely playing at all in his first couple years. Bamba will end up being a more intelligent version of whiteside when it's all said and done. Hopefully his motor/confidence does increase exponentially as he gets stronger.
