Athletic article on why no PT for Bamba

[jonbob17]

https://theathletic.com/2021/02/03/mo-bamba-playing-time


Surprise, surprise. If the FO does not step in on this season, I hope they burn this whole thing down. Martins on down.

[Skybox]

https://theathletic.com/2021/02/03/mo-bamba-playing-time


Surprise, surprise. If the FO does not step in on this season, I hope they burn this whole thing down. Martins on down.

So what does it say?...for us non subscribers

[FFBlitzace]

I went to Josh Robbins Twitter to see the replies and hopefully piece it together based on what people were saying. It's something about how Clifford thinks that benching Birch for Bamba would "destroy the locker room." Presumably because it would be seen as Bamba getting minutes for the sake of it rather than legitimately beating out Birch. First of all, the data already shows that Bamba is better, despite his flaws. He was better last season, and this season, while garbage time only, he's been productive. Secondly, we're losing every game we play, so none of these losers have any room to object to a shakeup to a bench position.

[fendilim]

Sc: “As I explained to him, the reality is this: Our best position by far is the five spot. By far. Vooch is playing at an All-Star level. Khem Birch is not just good now; Khem Birch is having a terrific year. So a lot of it is that. (Bamba) is playing behind two guys who (are excelling). Every night, it’s not even close — our best position is the five.”
...
In both seasons, scouts throughout the league generally were unimpressed by Bamba’s play and were especially critical of his energy level. Last May, one scout told The Athletic, “When he got drafted, I felt like he would address some of the things they didn’t have: shot-blocking. But the question with Mo, and I think there’s no secret, is there are games when he plays with very low energy. He just doesn’t seem to be able to turn it up to the level that he needs to consistently and play with a certain amount of energy for a sustained amount of time.

“He plays behind their best player, and I think there have been times when they’ve played Khem Birch above him, and sometimes for good reason. I think there are times when you’re trying to make the playoffs and you need to put guys in that you trust. You’ve got to go with the guy who’s going to give you effort, and I think sometimes Mo has been guilty of not doing that.”
...
Sc: “What he’s got to do is work hard because … there’s going to be a sickness, a sprained ankle, foul trouble (for one of the other centers),” Clifford said. “That’s the way the NBA works. It just is. What I’m always going to do is play the guys that give your team the best chance to win. Those two guys (Vucevic and Birch) are two of our best five or six players right now. So I’m not looking to make a change unless we have to at that position.”

[FFBlitzace]

Wow, that man is guzzling the Birch koolaid. Look, I like Birch. I think most of us do. He's a pro's pro. A solid, reliable guy to have available. But this is madness.

[Xatticus]

Trade Vucevic. Trade Birch. Fire Clifford. Do whatever the **** you have to do to prevent that neanderthal from turning us into the **** Charlotte Bobcats.

We lost a hell of a lot of games to get a valuable asset and Clifford is pissing it away. And for what? This team sucks. We can't defend when Vucevic is on the floor and we can't score when Birch is on the floor. They aren't good. Being better players right now is no justification for them keeping Bamba off the floor. Clifford is just too damned stupid to see the bigger picture here. It's **** hilarious how OKC dumped every vet they could get some value for, let their coach go, and filled out their roster with rookies and low-end prospects and yet they are a better team than we are at ground zero of their rebuild. Remember when we were the franchise that fired Doc Rivers for a 10-game losing streak? Does anybody actually think that Clifford's seat is even slightly warm?

[Knightro]

"If playing time is apportioned solely on who can best help the team now, the minutes as Orlando’s backup center should go to Birch, not Bamba. That’s how meritocracies work. Deviating from that merit-based system to gift Bamba minutes over Birch now probably would demoralize the Magic locker room."

^ is one of the most eye roll inducing things I've ever read in my life. We're really concerned with demoralizing the locker room of one of the worst built, worst run and worst performing teams in the league?

[ChosenSavior]

I didn't think I could dislike Clifford and how the Magic have been running things overall but this thread has increased it tenfold. He is really afraid of losing a team that has only won 2 games since the starting PG tore his ACL. Like the losing has not done that already? Like the immaculate Vucevic and Khem Birch have been leading the Magic to so many wins? Our player development is an absolute joke.

[Husky1]

Trade Vucevic. Trade Birch. Fire Clifford. Do whatever the **** you have to do to prevent that neanderthal from turning us into the **** Charlotte Bobcats.

We lost a hell of a lot of games to get a valuable asset and Clifford is pissing it away. And for what? This team sucks. We can't defend when Vucevic is on the floor and we can't score when Birch is on the floor. They aren't good. Being better players right now is no justification for them keeping Bamba off the floor. Clifford is just too damned stupid to see the bigger picture here. It's **** hilarious how OKC dumped every vet they could get some value for, let their coach go, and filled out their roster with rookies and low-end prospects and yet they are a better team than we are at ground zero of their rebuild. Remember when we were the franchise that fired Doc Rivers for a 10-game losing streak? Does anybody actually think that Clifford's seat is even slightly warm?

Great post. It really is depressing when you look at all the Charlotte rejects we have got over the years. This is Charlotte one of worst organisations in the league.
Biyombo- 70 million contract. Charlotte reject who played 2 good play off games for the raptors
Clifford- say no more. Doing the exact same thing here did in Charlotte. Ruining young players careers.
MCW - Cliffords boy. Plays ok defense but your 4/5 on the offensive end.
Bacon- I think he’s the most selfish player I have watched ( maybe 2nd behind Ross).
For me this whole Bamba debacle has got to be 50/50 blame on coach and FO, they need to either step in and trade Birch or fire Clifford tomorrow. I’m hoping for both tbh

[KillMonger]

This can't be life......This dude talking about meritocracies at this point? Last game Gary Clark and Birch had almost 40 minutes between them and had a COMBINED 1 REBOUND AND 1 BLOCK....i'm not buying it....obviously there is something between these two...I mean clifford says something insinuating bamba could be a long hauler....bamba responds saying he isn't a long hauler at all....it's real...and i think things are starting to come to a head if they even have to address it in this kind of fashion

Honestly to me? This is just another reason why i want clifford out of here....it's time to pivot to a new chapter, it's never been clearer than now....One of the Biggest changes to be made is the head coach, we need some new blood....a fresh face...a new leader for the new direction we need to be going into....This article made it very clear to me....Clifford is like the band in the titanic that's still playing while the ship is sinking

[penny_nz]

Burn it down.

Look Birch is a great bench presence, works hard and gives his all every minute. But he is what he is, he's a end of the bench PF / C to cover injuries or help close a game. I cannot believe in a throw away season he will not prioritise minutes to our #6 draft pick over him.

And what's worse? WeHam obviously know this, THEIR major draft pick, and what are they doing??? Nothing. This franchise is f****d.

[thelead]

So this pretty much proves what most of us thought. The organization needs to be completely dismantled and rebuilt from top to bottom.

[IllMagic04]

I understand that Birch is better. Im not mad at Birch getting minutes. But there are times where Birch is playing the 4 due to injuries. If you can play Birch at the 4 and play Clark at all then theres minutes for Bamba. If we can play Birch at the 4 we can try Bamba at the 4 too. It couldnt look much worse. At least do that until we trade Birch at the deadline.

Sent from my SM-G970U using RealGM mobile app

[KillMonger]

if i'm GM when the deadline hits birch is going to be on the first thing smoking outta here....that would send a message loud and clear

[Furinkazan]

https://orlandomagicdaily.com/2021/02/03/mohamed-bambas-lack-of-playing-time-adding-to-orlando-magic-frustration/

[Bensational]

Bamba must be terrible in practice and those environments, because his performance on the court is clearly better than Birch’s. Hell, if Clifford wanted to he could play Bamba at the 5 and Birch at the 4 to reward them both. But Clark and Chuma have apparently both shown more in practice than Bamba as to put a stop to that idea.

Daaaamn, this is getting ugly. Just trade one of those 5s to clear the glut please WeHam.

[VFX]

I’m 100% out on Clifford after those comments.

He’s an ancient retread from a bygone era that was gifted a familiar 90s inspired roster.

This is also why the FO is completely clueless and living in the past. Hiring Clifford and rolling out this roster is the most boring possible thing they could have done and was doomed for either failure or mediocrity.

Not only that, but drafting Bamba at #6 had to be one of the dumbest draft decisions in Orlando’s history other than Fran. Quite literally exhibit A to why drafting “BPA”,without context or a plan, is stupid.

I want them all gone. They are all absolutely incompetent and self preserving.

[zaymon]

You guys crying about 3rd string center for god sake. I could swear Clifford is keeping prime Hakeem on the bench reading those reactions. Bamba is not a rookie, not a sophomore, his allure as number 6 pick has faded already. He is not more useful than Iwundu last year. We have more important things to do than riot about fringe nba players playing time.

[SOUL]

You guys crying about 3rd string center for god sake. I could swear Clifford is keeping prime Hakeem on the bench reading those reactions. Bamba is not a rookie, not a sophomore, his allure as number 6 pick has faded already. He is not more useful than Iwundu last year. We have more important things to do than riot about fringe nba players playing time.

Like what, play Gary Clark and Bacon? lol

This is a really silly comment. Yeah, let's just keep not playing top 6 picks in lost seasons. Not about Bamba proving anybody right or wrong at this point, it's about wringing as much value from him to A. Keep him because he may help, or B. Move him and get some sort of value for him. Throwing your hands up and saying "he sucks" seems like really bad management of assets.

This is why we're a joke of a franchise to most of the league...

[drsd]

Birch is getting major minutes at PF. There is a "reason" why Bamba is not playing. It's not Birch.