Mohamed Bamba

[Kalela]

Favorite player in the draft. It is unfortunate the Celtics have no chance of getting him.

[Grits n Gravy]

Favorite player in the draft. It is unfortunate the Celtics have no chance of getting him.

There's still the lottery to come so if the Lakers move up to 2 or 3 you can surely get him. Unlikely yes but still have a chance.

[No-Man]

he is such a tease, I aam not buying still, but he is gonna make somebody fall for him and get trapped early for sure.

[yoyoboy]

Cavs optimally want spacing from both of their bigs, but that's a new thing. They only needed spacing at the 4, but were more than fine with TT at the 5 and he provides even less spacing than Bamba.

Cavs have two of the best iso scorers in the league and have plenty of shooters to make Bambas lack of offense an afterthought. What Cavs do need is a big such as Bamba to fix their abysmal D once and for all. He would be big factor on the interior and on the perimeter from the first minute.

Cavs are the best destination for a big like Bamba that doesn't need the ball in his hands to be a factor for a team that lacks a playable big over 6'10. Sure, he isn't the most explosive in the PnR, but he would still be their best target inside regardless.

This is even more true now. I think Bamba would be a perfect fit in this lineup:

George
JR/Hood
LeBron
Love
Bamba

Of course, I think he'd also be a perfect fit in LA if the Lakers put a superteam together this summer:

Ball*
Ingram
PG
LeBron
Bamba

*or whoever Ball would be traded for

JJJ or Bamba would be perfect fits on the Cavs.

Young wouldn't make much sense here as we have enough scoring and shooting and he's going to need time to develop (and he'll most likely be one of the worst defenders in the league year one). We have LeBron and Love at the forward spots so there goes Porter. I'm not high on Bagley, and Nance and Tristan already provide a lot of the same things (albeit at a lower degree).

Doncic and Ayton wouldn't be perfect fits but they wouldn't be bad ones either. We could throw Doncic in at the SG spot and Doncic/LeBron/Love and shooters has the potential to be a pretty much unguardable offense. That would be a sight to see for sure. And then with Ayton, while we donned defense more, he really can't be that much worse of a defender than TT has been and having a monster of a threat in the paint who presents matchup problems for the Warriors and wouldn't allow us to constantly get abused by bigs like Steven Adams and Jonas Val is pretty enticing.

Assuming LeBron stays, in order of who I want the Cavs to draft:
1. Doncic
2. Jackson Jr
3. Ayton
4. Bamba
5. Young
6. Carter
7. Porter
8. Bridges
9. Bagley

[Sebastian]

I think Bamba becomes a rich man's Tyson Chandler. More skilled offensively (particularly if the J becomes consistent) and potentially even more effective defensively. It might take a few years, but I think whoever gets this guy is getting an absolute cornerstone.

[doordoor123]

he is such a tease, I aam not buying still, but he is gonna make somebody fall for him and get trapped early for sure.

I really want to see how his career turns out. I wish I was able to see into the future.

[Alatan]

Someone needs to tell Bamba to look at the ball when rolling. He should also try to be more physical in the post. Texas guards are awful with post entry passes so he should stop wasting his energy on getting a good post position and focus more on setting screens and rolling. And he should practice the drop step instead of facing up for a jumper every time he gets the ball near the post.

[Djh7475]

I love this kids upside. He’s not a consistent jump shooter yet, but his shooting stroke is remarkably solid for his size. He’s an elite rim protector WITHOUT jumping, but his 1st and 2nd jump are top notch. His mobility for his size is something I’ve only really seen replicated by KP (and he’s even bigger than that giant). He has good hands and coordination for a young giant. A lot of mocks have the kid at #5-6, but I take him #2 behind Ayton. Only reason Ayton has the edge is because he’s similarly massive, but his jump shot is already consistent and he’s physically/athletically the closest thing I’ve seen to Shaq.

The embarrassment of riches (especially in the big man department) at the top of this draft is infuriating as a Celtics fan who was mentally ready to accept the best young 2-way trio in the league. Bamba is riskier than most of the guys mocked ahead of him, but his upside blows away Doncic, Trae, and Porter.

[Duke4life831]

I love this kids upside. He’s not a consistent jump shooter yet, but his shooting stroke is remarkably solid for his size. He’s an elite rim protector WITHOUT jumping, but his 1st and 2nd jump are top notch. His mobility for his size is something I’ve only really seen replicated by KP (and he’s even bigger than that giant). He has good hands and coordination for a young giant. A lot of mocks have the kid at #5-6, but I take him #2 behind Ayton. Only reason Ayton has the edge is because he’s similarly massive, but his jump shot is already consistent and he’s physically/athletically the closest thing I’ve seen to Shaq.

The embarrassment of riches (especially in the big man department) at the top of this draft is infuriating as a Celtics fan who was mentally ready to accept the best young 2-way trio in the league. Bamba is riskier than most of the guys mocked ahead of him, but his upside blows away Doncic, Trae, and Porter.

Ya I have #2 behind Bagley but can totally understand having Ayton #1. The dude is just a freak to me, for the past couple years Ive said he is Rudy Gobert with better athleticism and mobility. He just moves so well for his size its freakish. I think he has an even higher defensive ceiling than Rudy because I think hes going to be able to handle PnRs even better than Rudy while being the same rim protector Rudy is. Im very high on him just because of his defensive potential, all his offensive stuff is just icing on the cake for me.

[GimmeDat]

I'm super torn on the top of this draft right now. I've been pretty stubborn keeping Ayton at #1, but JJJ and Bamba just keep going from strength to strength.

[CP War Hawks]

I kinda of want him to struggle down the stretch and fall down the draft so the Hawks can trade down for him while gaining assets. However, I want Texas to make the tournament to see how he performs against that type of competition.

[Djh7475]

I love this kids upside. He’s not a consistent jump shooter yet, but his shooting stroke is remarkably solid for his size. He’s an elite rim protector WITHOUT jumping, but his 1st and 2nd jump are top notch. His mobility for his size is something I’ve only really seen replicated by KP (and he’s even bigger than that giant). He has good hands and coordination for a young giant. A lot of mocks have the kid at #5-6, but I take him #2 behind Ayton. Only reason Ayton has the edge is because he’s similarly massive, but his jump shot is already consistent and he’s physically/athletically the closest thing I’ve seen to Shaq.

The embarrassment of riches (especially in the big man department) at the top of this draft is infuriating as a Celtics fan who was mentally ready to accept the best young 2-way trio in the league. Bamba is riskier than most of the guys mocked ahead of him, but his upside blows away Doncic, Trae, and Porter.

Ya I have #2 behind Bagley but can totally understand having Ayton #1. The dude is just a freak to me, for the past couple years Ive said he is Rudy Gobert with better athleticism and mobility. He just moves so well for his size its freakish. I think he has an even higher defensive ceiling than Rudy because I think hes going to be able to handle PnRs even better than Rudy while being the same rim protector Rudy is. Im very high on him just because of his defensive potential, all his offensive stuff is just icing on the cake for me.

I had Bagley #1 to start the year, but he’s #3 on my board as of now. I expected his athleticism to translate more to the defensive end, and that along with his lack of a jumpshot and playmaking ability has dampened my expectations. With his build/athleticism, I saw him as Draymond/Chris Webber hybrid - a potential #1/2 option who could serve as your small-ball 5 at a high level.

I also thought that Ayton’s jump shot was more theoretical than refined (like Bamba), but his mid range game is money and his form is solid it’s actually been consistently falling. The Towns comparisons couldn’t be more justified offensively, but Towns isn’t in the same tier when it comes to “freakishness”. Ayton is built like a young Shaq, and while he isn’t the same athlete Shaq was (Shaq was potentially the best above 7’-0” athlete to ever live - and I hate the Lakers...), he’s as close to it as someone that size can be.

Can you picture Shaq in today’s soft NBA without FT shooting issues and a legit 3 point shot? If Shaq played in today’s NBA, he’d go to the line 10+ time per game easily while being unstoppable against so many small 5’s. Ayton can actually make teams pay for fouling him, and he’s got the athleticism to become a game-changing defender who can actually stay on the floor when teams go small. If he pans out, no player in the draft (or several of the past few drafts) can come close to touching him, but he comes with a high-end floor as well.

Recent draft classes haven’t had the type of can’t miss prospect who at worst looks like a high-end mobile modern stretch 5 and who at best could be the best player in the game some day. Bagley’s ceiling would make him #1 in a lot of drafts, but his floor (in my opinion - based on defensive/shooting concerns) puts him a tier below Ayton in my mind. On the other hand, I think Bagley’s floor is still a decent bit higher than Bamba’s, and while I think Bagley is more likely to reach/come close to reaching his ceiling than Bamba is, Bamba is a once-in-a-generation PROSPECT (not player).

In theory, Bamba’s ceiling is nonexistent, but obviously the odds of him becoming a 3 point shooting Rudy Gobert with wing/forward-like mobility/athleticism are difficult to quantify (but they must be admittedly low). When it comes down to it, I just typically take the prospect with a projectable offensive game who will get on the floor with their defense. I could see Bamba struggling with NBA-Level strength and being a non-factor on the boards (like KP) or offensively, but I can’t see any way he’s not a top notch defender at some point in his career. That should keep him on the floor and buy him some time early on until he builds muscle and develops offensively.

[Duke4life831]

I love this kids upside. He’s not a consistent jump shooter yet, but his shooting stroke is remarkably solid for his size. He’s an elite rim protector WITHOUT jumping, but his 1st and 2nd jump are top notch. His mobility for his size is something I’ve only really seen replicated by KP (and he’s even bigger than that giant). He has good hands and coordination for a young giant. A lot of mocks have the kid at #5-6, but I take him #2 behind Ayton. Only reason Ayton has the edge is because he’s similarly massive, but his jump shot is already consistent and he’s physically/athletically the closest thing I’ve seen to Shaq.

The embarrassment of riches (especially in the big man department) at the top of this draft is infuriating as a Celtics fan who was mentally ready to accept the best young 2-way trio in the league. Bamba is riskier than most of the guys mocked ahead of him, but his upside blows away Doncic, Trae, and Porter.

Ya I have #2 behind Bagley but can totally understand having Ayton #1. The dude is just a freak to me, for the past couple years Ive said he is Rudy Gobert with better athleticism and mobility. He just moves so well for his size its freakish. I think he has an even higher defensive ceiling than Rudy because I think hes going to be able to handle PnRs even better than Rudy while being the same rim protector Rudy is. Im very high on him just because of his defensive potential, all his offensive stuff is just icing on the cake for me.

I had Bagley #1 to start the year, but he’s #3 on my board as of now. I expected his athleticism to translate more to the defensive end, and that along with his lack of a jumpshot and playmaking ability has dampened my expectations. With his build/athleticism, I saw him as Draymond/Chris Webber hybrid - a potential #1/2 option who could serve as your small-ball 5 at a high level.

I also thought that Ayton’s jump shot was more theoretical than refined (like Bamba), but his mid range game is money and his form is solid it’s actually been consistently falling. The Towns comparisons couldn’t be more justified offensively, but Towns isn’t in the same tier when it comes to “freakishness”. Ayton is built like a young Shaq, and while he isn’t the same athlete Shaq was (Shaq was potentially the best above 7’-0” athlete to ever live - and I hate the Lakers...), he’s as close to it as someone that size can be.

Can you picture Shaq in today’s soft NBA without FT shooting issues and a legit 3 point shot? If Shaq played in today’s NBA, he’d go to the line 10+ time per game easily while being unstoppable against so many small 5’s. Ayton can actually make teams pay for fouling him, and he’s got the athleticism to become a game-changing defender who can actually stay on the floor when teams go small. If he pans out, no player in the draft (or several of the past few drafts) can come close to touching him, but he comes with a high-end floor as well.

Recent draft classes haven’t had the type of can’t miss prospect who at worst looks like a high-end mobile modern stretch 5 and who at best could be the best player in the game some day. Bagley’s ceiling would make him #1 in a lot of drafts, but his floor (in my opinion - based on defensive/shooting concerns) puts him a tier below Ayton in my mind. On the other hand, I think Bagley’s floor is still a decent bit higher than Bamba’s, and while I think Bagley is more likely to reach/come close to reaching his ceiling than Bamba is, Bamba is a once-in-a-generation PROSPECT (not player).

In theory, Bamba’s ceiling is nonexistent, but obviously the odds of him becoming a 3 point shooting Rudy Gobert with wing/forward-like mobility/athleticism are difficult to quantify (but they must be admittedly low). When it comes down to it, I just typically take the prospect with a projectable offensive game who will get on the floor with their defense. I could see Bamba struggling with NBA-Level strength and being a non-factor on the boards (like KP) or offensively, but I can’t see any way he’s not a top notch defender at some point in his career. That should keep him on the floor and buy him some time early on until he builds muscle and develops offensively.

See Im actually the complete opposite than you on the jump shot thing for Bagley and Ayton haha. I felt Ayton's jumper was much further along than Bagley's heading into the season. But on the season Bagley has hit almost double the amount of 3s with 17 vs 10 and has done it on a 35% clip vs 33% clip. Ayton definitely uses the mid range a lot more than Bagley but is shooting 42% from the mid range compared to Bagley shooting 40% from mid range. I like both of their forms on their jumpers, but I actually like Bagley's arch and shooting touch more. So ya if you told me at the beginning of the season Bagley would be shooting 35% on 3s for the season and even 32% in conference play, I wouldve been ecstatic.

Then defensively ya Bagley isnt showing the shot blocking he showed in high school, but Ive heard K is telling Bagley to focus on rebounding position and staying out of foul trouble and letting Carter focus on the rim protection. To me Balgey has been Duke's best defender in the starting lineup, I think he has shown a ton of promise with his ability to guard out on the perimeter, he also was 3rd in EYBL in blocks in high school so I still think he has that potential. But I will admit, its hard to judge defenders in Duke's mess of a defense.

Ya when it comes to Bamba, I was curious how he would rebound this year and he has really shown a lot in my opinion so far, so that is really promising to me. Again defensively he is as good of a defensive prospect as I have seen. I just dont see too many holes in his defensive potential. Offensively again anything that happens on that side of the ball is icing on the cake. But for sure he has potential to be Rudy Gobert with a 3pt shot (not Curry 3pt shot, but like a Cousins 3pt shot), and that is one scary prospect.

I think you and I are pretty close on how we view these guys, just with a view different views and I got Bagley, Bamba, Ayton. While it sounds like you got Ayton, Bamba, Bagley and I can totally get why you have it that way. Hard to really argue it.

[No-Man]

Bamba is more fluid than Gobert but he isn't more athletic, and he is also way behind when it comes to strength, also Rudy is a freaking workhorse, on and off the field, to me Bamba is more of a curiosity than a real ball player

[JMac1]

Bamba is more fluid than Gobert but he isn't more athletic, and he is also way behind when it comes to strength, also Rudy is a freaking workhorse, on and off the field, to me Bamba is more of a curiosity than a real ball player

He looks very athletic to me. Call me crazy, but I’m starting to like his boom or defense status. No way he busts. Having a Gobert with better (doesn’t have to be by much) offense would be insane. If he is a worker, I’d take him after Doncic and Ayton for the Suns. I know Jackson can shoot, but you can pick and roll this guy and if he develops an elbow J and few post moves...lights out.

[RookieStar]

Just curious cuz I haven't seen that much games of his, but in terms of defense ONLY, how is he different from the other hyped-prospect that were long , lean and supposedly athletic that were busts like Saer Sene and Thon Maker?

[clyde21]

Just curious cuz I haven't seen that much games of his, but in terms of defense ONLY, how is he different from the other hyped-prospect that were long , lean and supposedly athletic that were busts like Saer Sene and Thon Maker?

He's probably the best defensive prospect since Anthony Davis. Guys like Thon Maker are just not close to being as good as him.

[doordoor123]

Just curious cuz I haven't seen that much games of his, but in terms of defense ONLY, how is he different from the other hyped-prospect that were long , lean and supposedly athletic that were busts like Saer Sene and Thon Maker?

He's probably the best defensive prospect since Anthony Davis. Guys like Thon Maker are just not close to being as good as him.

He’s also not that lean. He has a great body that will fill out.

[doordoor123]

Bamba is more fluid than Gobert but he isn't more athletic, and he is also way behind when it comes to strength, also Rudy is a freaking workhorse, on and off the field, to me Bamba is more of a curiosity than a real ball player

Isn’t more athletic? I think you need to watch more Texas games. Bamba’s hand goes over the backboard when he jumps. I agree in terms of his basketball skills needing work though. And his personality scares me a little. I don’t know if he will push himself to be great.

[Duke4life831]

Just curious cuz I haven't seen that much games of his, but in terms of defense ONLY, how is he different from the other hyped-prospect that were long , lean and supposedly athletic that were busts like Saer Sene and Thon Maker?

Completely different. Thon was never known to be a great defender. He was also very inconsistent and disappeared all the time. Bamba just isn't really long and therefore has potential as a defender. He's a really good defender that is really long. The dude has great instincts defensively and is very consistent. Bamba's defense maybe the thing I have the most faith in translating with this draft.