Mo Bamba

[Suicide King]

Come on bud if we're going to argue, lets argue over something more interesting than how we define the word special. You say potato, I say patato, but in the end all the matters is how effective the player is on the court. I don't think Gobert is as good as any of those top players you mentioned but that's not what the discussion is about. Gobert will never carry a team but Gobert's defense is the difference in Utah being the 9th seed and now more than likely making it into the 2nd round of the playoffs.

I'm just defining special as rare. Like Gobert's wingspan is the longest in the NBA, I think that's special because without that wingspan, he's just another run of the mill solid big guy. With that wingspan, he's the best goalie in the NBA. I don't even want to draft Bamba but players with his measurements don't come along all that often so he has a chance to be a really effective player. Will never carry the team but you team him up with a guy who can carry the offense and you might have something special.

The physical attributes alone are intriguing enough for me. I think with the right influences ( Bogs,Joerger,Vlade,) Bamba seems the best swing for the fences pick we can hope for. If he can learn discipline in his game and find a niche in the up-tempo system which admittedly doesn't jive with his current athleticism . too hard to pass up.

At the very least, given his foot speed in a fast break situation, I can see him easily providing easy lob opportunities as the plodding trailer ( DMC whom I am a big fan of, was not the fastest in transition ) if the initial quicker attacks from Fox, Bogs,Buddy,Willie,etc don't pan out immediately.

After the kids took over down the stretch you could finally see at least a glimpse of the faster pace Dave intends to eventually run, and it seemed as though only repetition was needed.

However, the whole point of drafting Bamba is for defense in the paint and rebounds. Then, you hope for some easy lobs to grow to a good post up game. I am sorry but I still value the Ben Wallaces and Bill Lambiers, the Rudy Goberts and yes, even the Draymond Greens. Defense.


@ESP47 am mostly in agreement and mostly speaking my piece.

 

[ESP47]

The physical attributes alone are intriguing enough for me. I think with the right influences ( Bogs,Joerger,Vlade,) Bamba seems the best swing for the fences pick we can hope for. If he can learn discipline in his game and find a niche in the up-tempo system which admittedly doesn't jive with his current athleticism . too hard to pass up.

At the very least, given his foot speed in a fast break situation, I can see him easily providing easy lob opportunities as the plodding trailer ( DMC whom I am a big fan of, was not the fastest in transition ) if the initial quicker attacks from Fox, Bogs,Buddy,Willie,etc don't pan out immediately.

After the kids took over down the stretch you could finally see at least a glimpse of the faster pace Dave intends to eventually run, and it seemed as though only repetition was needed.

However, the whole point of drafting Bamba is for defense in the paint and rebounds. Then, you hope for some easy lobs to grow to a good post up game. I am sorry but I still value the Ben Wallaces and Bill Lambiers, the Rudy Goberts and yes, even the Draymond Greens. Defense.


@ESP47 am mostly in agreement and mostly speaking my piece.

I am mostly in agreement with you too. I would love to have a Draymond Green but unfortunately he's a one of a kind player.

Me personally, I'd rather try and draft our future Donovan Mitchell type offensive leader than our future Rudy Gobert type defensive leader because I feel like you can pair an offensive leader with a decent big man and still make the wheels turn but I don't know if Bamba surrounded by a bunch of role players will really make much headway in the west. If Fox, Bogie or Hield turn into offensive juggernauts then it's a different story.

 

[Suicide King]

I am mostly in agreement with you too. I would love to have a Draymond Green but unfortunately he's a one of a kind player.

Me personally, I'd rather try and draft our future Donovan Mitchell type offensive leader than our future Rudy Gobert type defensive leader because I feel like you can pair an offensive leader with a decent big man and still make the wheels turn but I don't know if Bamba surrounded by a bunch of role players will really make much headway in the west. If Fox, Bogie or Hield turn into offensive juggernauts then it's a different story.

I was not a huge fan of Buddy's at first, but if he can reach a point where he is no longer happy coming off the bench, and continue if not slightly improve his play and efficiency then we already have a go to scorer on the roster.

If you can eliminate the paint with a defensive presence like I anticipate Bamba to continue to be, then you can focus the perimeter defense more on who gets the 3 pt shots as opposed to just trying to half heatedly contest any and all 3 ptrs. This is one reason why the Pels swept one of the best back courts in the league. With AD roaming in the paint, and trapping ball screens to diminish the effectiveness of one of the most prolific offensive back courts in the league, the offensive oriented 3rd seed Blazers were eliminated by not only the tremendous offensive play of AD, Jrue and even Mirotic , but by the defensive scheme properly executed. No doubt Rondo had a hand in that.
In the end, despite the hand wringing, this draft is not the worst to have been" morally superior" and still end up with a good player. Mikal would be absolutely fine in my book.

 

[206Fan]

I am mostly in agreement with you too. I would love to have a Draymond Green but unfortunately he's a one of a kind player.

Me personally, I'd rather try and draft our future Donovan Mitchell type offensive leader than our future Rudy Gobert type defensive leader because I feel like you can pair an offensive leader with a decent big man and still make the wheels turn but I don't know if Bamba surrounded by a bunch of role players will really make much headway in the west. If Fox, Bogie or Hield turn into offensive juggernauts then it's a different story.

I was not a huge fan of Buddy's at first, but if he can reach a point where he is no longer happy coming off the bench, and continue if not slightly improve his play and efficiency then we already have a go to scorer on the roster.

If you can eliminate the paint with a defensive presence like I anticipate Bamba to continue to be, then you can focus the perimeter defense more on who gets the 3 pt shots as opposed to just trying to half heatedly contest any and all 3 ptrs. This is one reason why the Pels swept one of the best back courts in the league. With AD roaming in the paint, and trapping ball screens to diminish the effectiveness of one of the most prolific offensive back courts in the league, the offensive oriented 3rd seed Blazers were eliminated by not only the tremendous offensive play of AD, Jrue and even Mirotic , but by the defensive scheme properly executed. No doubt Rondo had a hand in that.
In the end, despite the hand wringing, this draft is not the worst to have been" morally superior" and still end up with a good player. Mikal would be absolutely fine in my book.

I agree with you guys. It seems like a risky gamble banking on Fox, Buddy, Bogdan, or Giles ultimately becoming a go-to scorer. This is why I think the Kings will need to swing for the fences. Bamba has upside, but he doesn't have that kinda upside. This is why I'm a big advocate of picking Porter Jr and Young.

It's much easier to find the Bambas and Mikals in the world than it is to find your DeMarcus Cousins. It's a shame we couldn't build around him.

 

[Joshoua]

If the front office believes in Giles you take Bridges

 

[hrdboild]

Well then obviously you agree with me that Mikal Bridges is a nice compromise. He can score, and he's a hell of a defender... Maybe not......

After the top 3 it gets cloudy for me. I've got pros and cons with almost everybody. I was trying to rethink my draft strategy a bit now that we're essentially starting over and flirted with Trae Young and Michael Porter in the top 5 but this conversation has brought me back to trusting my core philosophy which is to build up the defense first. Mikal Bridges is no doubt a safer pick than Mo Bamba but I see him as a good defender who can knock down shots while Bamba is potentially an elite defender who can catch lobs, grab rebounds, and learn to spot shoot. It's close but I give the edge to the guy with the bigger impact on defense and to me that's Bamba.

But I'm not entirely focused on defense and I'm not obsessed with high ceiling guys to the exclusion of everyone else anymore. Theres a balance to be struck between how good a guy could be and how likely they are to get there from where they are now. That's why I've also pushed Wendell Carter Jr. all the way up to 4. How's that for compromise! Carter is a good defender who's also got a lot of potential on the offensive end. I see no downside with him. I've seen far too many freak athletes fail because they've always been so physically dominant at lower levels that they never really had to learn the game. Plain old boring skill and demonstrated understanding of the nuances of the game are more important to me.

So with that in mind, I really want Doncic in this draft-- he's so far ahead of everyone else, even Ayton, on my wishlist that I don't really want to talk about anyone else until after the lottery. Come on top 3 pick! From there it goes (2) Ayton, (3) Jackson, (4) Carter, (5) Bamba, (6) Mikal Bridges, (7) Bagley, (8) Miles Bridges, (9) Porter, (10) Sexton, (11) Young. Trae Young might very well be the next Steve Nash but Nash was a big zero in defense for his whole career. I'm sure he'll be a very good player but I just can't get excited about players who don't contribute defensively. Porter could be higher if I'd seen him play more. And I actually think Bagley is a riskier pick than Bamba. He put up monster numbers this season but he didn't strike me as a very self-aware defender. He might end up being kindof an empty numbers guy.

 

[Joshoua]

Watching Gobert makes me want Bamba he’s making okc take every shot outside the paint Westbrook rarely challenges him. Bamba will probably raise in the draft because of this

 

[jiimbob]

I wont compare Gobert to Bamba, still watching the OKC Utah series is inspiring. Bright future Utah has, I have really enjoyed Rubio as well.

 

[bajaden]

Watching Gobert makes me want Bamba he’s making okc take every shot outside the paint Westbrook rarely challenges him. Bamba will probably raise in the draft because of this

I agree with your analysis, but how well will that work against the Warriors. The truth is, the way the Thunder are composed, Utah is a very bad match up for them. But what Utah does won't necessarily work against every other team. If they go up against a good three point shooting team, then it's a different story. Not saying that the Jazz can't beat another team, just that it won't be as easy against a good shooting team that also plays defense.

 

[bajaden]

I wont compare Gobert to Bamba, still watching the OKC Utah series is inspiring. Bright future Utah has, I have really enjoyed Rubio as well.

I think Gobert to Bamba is a good comp, and lets remember that Gobert spent a lot of time down in the D-league his first year. If anyone is expecting Bamba to be any kind of offensive player, other than alley oops and put backs, your dreaming. He may eventually be a player that can move out and help spread the floor, but he's not that right now. He may eventually become a decent post player, but he's a long way from being that right now. Just know what your getting. The rest is all if's and hopes.

Also remember that the Kings seem to be trying to build a team that moves without the ball, and has good ball movement. Bamba is not a good passer, so how does he fit that scenario? His handles aren't that good, which isn't that big a deal for a young 6'11" player, but when you compare him to JJJ, he's not at the same level. If we were talking about Jaren Jackson, I'd be all over it, but were not. Jackson is the player with the huge potential both offensively and defensively. Lets hope we get lucky in the lottery. Otherwise, I'm sticking with Bridges...

 

[biltalent]

I thought it was a good idea to re-watch the old DX video on Gobert. Its still on YouTube.

Gobert is definitely the ceiling play with Bamba. They are comparable. I think every team in the NBA would love to have a Gobert-type player.
Still, I worry Bamba is even further away than Gobert was. Gobert made huge improvements to get where he is now. So Bamba has to replicate that + even more because he is even further away. For example, Gobert was listed at 238 pounds while Bamba is at 207. Thats a huge difference, especially at the center position. If he cannot take on weight, he is getting attacked every drip down. Even if he can, its going to take years. Somehow everyone is concerned with Skals weight at C, but even Skal had ten pounds on Bamba.
Further, Goberts awareness and rotations on D, especially in the pick and roll, are way more advanced. If Bamba had the same awareness, he would be much higher on my board. But he hasnt and awareness is so hard to improve. How many more bigs with limited instincts on D can this team draft?
Now, Bamba is more advanced shooting the ball and putting it on the floor. But is that really going to matter? Is he going to put the time in improving his strength, improving his defense like Gobert did? Or will he focus on offense instead to become the next shooting big like we see WCS do? Thats what executives have to figure out in Interviews.

 

[allrightythen]

I thought it was a good idea to re-watch the old DX video on Gobert. Its still on YouTube.

Gobert is definitely the ceiling play with Bamba. They are comparable. I think every team in the NBA would love to have a Gobert-type player.
Still, I worry Bamba is even further away than Gobert was. Gobert made huge improvements to get where he is now. So Bamba has to replicate that + even more because he is even further away. For example, Gobert was listed at 238 pounds while Bamba is at 207. Thats a huge difference, especially at the center position. If he cannot take on weight, he is getting attacked every drip down. Even if he can, its going to take years. Somehow everyone is concerned with Skals weight at C, but even Skal had ten pounds on Bamba.
Further, Goberts awareness and rotations on D, especially in the pick and roll, are way more advanced. If Bamba had the same awareness, he would be much higher on my board. But he hasnt and awareness is so hard to improve. How many more bigs with limited instincts on D can this team draft?
Now, Bamba is more advanced shooting the ball and putting it on the floor. But is that really going to matter? Is he going to put the time in improving his strength, improving his defense like Gobert did? Or will he focus on offense instead to become the next shooting big like we see WCS do? Thats what executives have to figure out in Interviews.

Bamba is a little younger than Gobert was coming out. He'll need some time to develop for sure.

 

[biltalent]

I thought it was a good idea to re-watch the old DX video on Gobert. Its still on YouTube.

Gobert is definitely the ceiling play with Bamba. They are comparable. I think every team in the NBA would love to have a Gobert-type player.
Still, I worry Bamba is even further away than Gobert was. Gobert made huge improvements to get where he is now. So Bamba has to replicate that + even more because he is even further away. For example, Gobert was listed at 238 pounds while Bamba is at 207. Thats a huge difference, especially at the center position. If he cannot take on weight, he is getting attacked every drip down. Even if he can, its going to take years. Somehow everyone is concerned with Skals weight at C, but even Skal had ten pounds on Bamba.
Further, Goberts awareness and rotations on D, especially in the pick and roll, are way more advanced. If Bamba had the same awareness, he would be much higher on my board. But he hasnt and awareness is so hard to improve. How many more bigs with limited instincts on D can this team draft?
Now, Bamba is more advanced shooting the ball and putting it on the floor. But is that really going to matter? Is he going to put the time in improving his strength, improving his defense like Gobert did? Or will he focus on offense instead to become the next shooting big like we see WCS do? Thats what executives have to figure out in Interviews.

Of course, after I put the time in for that post, DX posts a workout video of him hitting 9 good-looking NBA 3pointers in a row

 

[allrightythen]

Of course, after I put the time in for that post, DX posts a workout video of him hitting 9 good-looking NBA 3pointers in a row

He may change the meaning of a 3&D player.

 

[biltalent]

Bamba is a little younger than Gobert was coming out. He'll need some time to develop for sure.

Thats fair, and has to be considered.
Although its less than a year difference. Gobert turned 21 around draft time, Bamba turns 20 in May.

 

[biltalent]

From Cole Zwicker:
"Hanlen working with Bamba is pretty huge. Was able to refine Tatum's mechanics. Monitoring post-season shooting tweaks also big part of process (see Kuzma last year). Most of Bamba realizing upside is tied to physical development but shooting 3s makes O projection so much cleaner"

 

[SacTownKid]

Why would I want to look at highlights of him before he went to Texas, when I saw him play 20 plus times at Texas. If you think he's anywhere near what Anthony Davis is, your out of your freaking mind. Anthony Davis is a freak athlete. Bamba isn't! I was blown away by AD at Kentucky, and predicted that he would become one the best centers in the NBA. I'm the same person watching Bamba, and I'm not seeing that. He doesn't have near the handles that AD had at Kentucky, and for a guy that supposed to be a good shooter, why did he shoot 27% from the three. Bagley, whose not supposed to be a good shooter shot 38% from the three.

Look, I'm not against drafting Bamba, but I want to be realistic about what to expect from him. People are disappointed in Willie, not because of what he is, but because of their expectations of what kind of player they want him to be. You build up this player, we draft him, and expectations will again be unrealistic. Right now he's all potential. When I see a 6'7" 230 pound player push Bamba around under the basket, what the hell do you think a Cousins, or Gasol is going to do. Randolph would go through him like butter.

Don't know if you saw the Texas/Duke game, but it was one the match-ups I was looking forward to. Bagley and Carter up against Bamba. Bagley had 34 points and 15 boards. Carter had 14 points and 11 boards. Bamba had 9 points and 10 boards. Now it wasn't a terrible game for Bamba. he boarded OK, and had a couple of blocks. But the difference in athleticism between him and Bagley was undeniable. Bagley has Anthony Davis athleticism. If you want to compare games, its Bagley's game that compares with AD's at Kentucky. And AD was better.

Because he was utilized in a Shaka Smart coached system and Smart is usually very heavy handed in wanting a traditional shot blocking big man. He had some chances, but nothing remotely consistent. It's all about how a player is used when there are uncovered abilities and potential involved. He's raw for sure but but the potential for him to become more in those areas exists. As I said, I don't know what the chances are of him developing them to where they can be relied upon game to game but they are there. It's not too different from Giles. In college he had an entirely different role than the hype built around him with the ball like he had in high school. The Kings are banking on that, not what he showed at Duke. You seem to be comparing players of different abilities and different roles without thinking about potential. Bagley is a much safer bet as a prospect, Duke was a far better team, but things might just balance out when you project towards the future when these individuals top out physically. Bamba is a risk reward type of project but with there are tons of potential.

I didn't say anything about him being a freak athlete nor did I say he will become the next Anthony Davis, THEIR GAMES ARE SIMILAR. I was speaking mostly of his unpolished talent and skills in relation to someone like Davis. It's hard to compare a big with the potential to shoot from deep to someone like Gobert. His frame being similarly slight at the same age as someone like Davis is another reason why the Gobert comparison is hard to make IMO. I also wouldn't personally consider Davis a freak athlete. LeBron is a freak athlete. Westbrook is a freak athlete. Davis isn't terrible but he's a bit awkward much like Bamba. I do think he'll be OK athletically and will most likely get stronger over time. The frame is a concern but Davis was much the same coming in so you never know what will happen from there.

 

[bajaden]

Because he was utilized in a Shaka Smart coached system and Smart is usually very heavy handed in wanting a traditional shot blocking big man. He had some chances, but nothing remotely consistent. It's all about how a player is used when there are uncovered abilities and potential involved. He's raw for sure but but the potential for him to become more in those areas exists. As I said, I don't know what the chances are of him developing them to where they can be relied upon game to game but they are there. It's not too different from Giles. In college he had an entirely different role than the hype built around him with the ball like he had in high school. The Kings are banking on that, not what he showed at Duke. You seem to be comparing players of different abilities and different roles without thinking about potential. Bagley is a much safer bet as a prospect, Duke was a far better team, but things might just balance out when you project towards the future when these individuals top out physically. Bamba is a risk reward type of project but with there are tons of potential.

I didn't say anything about him being a freak athlete nor did I say he will become the next Anthony Davis, THEIR GAMES ARE SIMILAR. I was speaking mostly of his unpolished talent and skills in relation to someone like Davis. It's hard to compare a big with the potential to shoot from deep to someone like Gobert. His frame being similarly slight at the same age as someone like Davis is another reason why the Gobert comparison is hard to make IMO. I also wouldn't personally consider Davis a freak athlete. LeBron is a freak athlete. Westbrook is a freak athlete. Davis isn't terrible but he's a bit awkward much like Bamba. I do think he'll be OK athletically and will most likely get stronger over time. The frame is a concern but Davis was much the same coming in so you never know what will happen from there.

I have never compared Giles to Bamba. Two entirely different kind of players. Bagley would be a better comp for Giles than Bamba, and I haven't compared them either. Based on what I saw coming only out of highschool, I would have taken Giles 10 times out of 10 over Bagley. But that doesn't mean I don't like Bagley. As for how Giles played in college, it's meaningless. In many of the early games he played after clearing medical, he only played 6 or 7 minutes, and only under the basket. He was basically told to stand under the basket and rebound. That's it, period. Totally meaningless to the conversation. Lest people forget, prior to his injury, Giles was the best highschool basketball player in the nation.

As far as Bamba goes, my criticisms have nothing to do with how Smart used him. You either have a post game, or you don't. He was played mostly in the post, and had many, many opportunities to post up, and seldom did, and the few times he did post up a lot of them ended in disaster. He's not a very good passer either. I will grant you that Texas didn't try and run the ball through him, but many times when he had the ball away from the basket, his recognition was very poor. Not saying he can't improve, but only commenting on what is, not what might be.

The current video is encouraging. His release point is higher, and he's stopped pushing the ball out away from him on the way up to the release point like he was before. However, we need to see him in a game. There are a lot of players that can shoot the hell out of the ball in practice. But, as I said it's encouraging. What bothers me, is that no one seems to give a damm about fit. Just how good a fit is Bamba on the Kings? If you building a team based on a fast pace (pace doesn't mean how fast you run up the floor, but how long it takes you to shoot the ball) spreading the floor, and ball movement, how well does Bamba's skill set fit that scenario? I happen to think that's important.

 

[Joshoua]

I have never compared Giles to Bamba. Two entirely different kind of players. Bagley would be a better comp for Giles than Bamba, and I haven't compared them either. Based on what I saw coming only out of highschool, I would have taken Giles 10 times out of 10 over Bagley. But that doesn't mean I don't like Bagley. As for how Giles played in college, it's meaningless. In many of the early games he played after clearing medical, he only played 6 or 7 minutes, and only under the basket. He was basically told to stand under the basket and rebound. That's it, period. Totally meaningless to the conversation. Lest people forget, prior to his injury, Giles was the best highschool basketball player in the nation.

As far as Bamba goes, my criticisms have nothing to do with how Smart used him. You either have a post game, or you don't. He was played mostly in the post, and had many, many opportunities to post up, and seldom did, and the few times he did post up a lot of them ended in disaster. He's not a very good passer either. I will grant you that Texas didn't try and run the ball through him, but many times when he had the ball away from the basket, his recognition was very poor. Not saying he can't improve, but only commenting on what is, not what might be.

The current video is encouraging. His release point is higher, and he's stopped pushing the ball out away from him on the way up to the release point like he was before. However, we need to see him in a game. There are a lot of players that can shoot the hell out of the ball in practice. But, as I said it's encouraging. What bothers me, is that no one seems to give a damm about fit. Just how good a fit is Bamba on the Kings? If you building a team based on a fast pace (pace doesn't mean how fast you run up the floor, but how long it takes you to shoot the ball) spreading the floor, and ball movement, how well does Bamba's skill set fit that scenario? I happen to think that's important.

Ya a Duke guy in another forum was saying Bagley is what people that Giles would be but Giles being a better defender.

Also for people not believing in Giles hype than I assum you don’t believe in the Morter Jr hype either. Can’t have it both ways unless you didn’t like Giles high school tape cause Porter injury is worse and he looked just as bad as Giles did in the same situation.

 

[burekijogurt]

The current video is encouraging. His release point is higher, and he's stopped pushing the ball out away from him on the way up to the release point like he was before. However, we need to see him in a game. There are a lot of players that can shoot the hell out of the ball in practice. But, as I said it's encouraging. What bothers me, is that no one seems to give a damm about fit. Just how good a fit is Bamba on the Kings? If you building a team based on a fast pace (pace doesn't mean how fast you run up the floor, but how long it takes you to shoot the ball) spreading the floor, and ball movement, how well does Bamba's skill set fit that scenario? I happen to think that's important.

good eye.

"Making sure that my jump shot resembled more of a jump shot -- you know, everything was smooth -- rather than a catapult," Bamba said. "I recently lowered my pocket, and my follow-through looks good and everything is smooth. I still got ways to go with my jump shot. But I'm pretty happy with the progression that I've made."

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/23317397/mohamed-bamba-coveted-nba-head-start

 

[kingsboi]

if Bamba all of a sudden starts knocking down mid range Js and three pointers in his NBA workouts, best believe he will shoot up those draft boards.

 

[SacTownKid]

I have never compared Giles to Bamba. Two entirely different kind of players. Bagley would be a better comp for Giles than Bamba, and I haven't compared them either. Based on what I saw coming only out of highschool, I would have taken Giles 10 times out of 10 over Bagley. But that doesn't mean I don't like Bagley. As for how Giles played in college, it's meaningless. In many of the early games he played after clearing medical, he only played 6 or 7 minutes, and only under the basket. He was basically told to stand under the basket and rebound. That's it, period. Totally meaningless to the conversation. Lest people forget, prior to his injury, Giles was the best highschool basketball player in the nation.

As far as Bamba goes, my criticisms have nothing to do with how Smart used him. You either have a post game, or you don't. He was played mostly in the post, and had many, many opportunities to post up, and seldom did, and the few times he did post up a lot of them ended in disaster. He's not a very good passer either. I will grant you that Texas didn't try and run the ball through him, but many times when he had the ball away from the basket, his recognition was very poor. Not saying he can't improve, but only commenting on what is, not what might be.

The current video is encouraging. His release point is higher, and he's stopped pushing the ball out away from him on the way up to the release point like he was before. However, we need to see him in a game. There are a lot of players that can shoot the hell out of the ball in practice. But, as I said it's encouraging. What bothers me, is that no one seems to give a damm about fit. Just how good a fit is Bamba on the Kings? If you building a team based on a fast pace (pace doesn't mean how fast you run up the floor, but how long it takes you to shoot the ball) spreading the floor, and ball movement, how well does Bamba's skill set fit that scenario? I happen to think that's important.

I'm sorry maybe it wasn't clear but I moved on to your referencing of the Duke - Texas game at that point. The Giles point was specifically made in reference to both Bamba and Giles showing most of their unusual big man skills at the high school level as some players do.

That's the thing, Bamba didn't really translate as a post game center in high school. He was someone that would or could go full court with the ball as a face up player. I think he'll eventually get better in the post even if he is more of a finesse type. With his length if he develops a decent hook shot, or fade away, and learns to sell contact, much like Davis BTW, he can earn mega points at the line.

Again, these are all raw skills. He's shown flashes of seeing things as a passer and whipping them in with accuracy. Everything he does and the reasons he'll be drafted high will be based around the idea that those things can and will be improved. This is why his ceiling is so high. Who knows if he gets all the way there but the unpolished evidence of those skills exists. Being that he's so young you're banking on all those things about him along with his physical development forming him into a diamond down the road. It's a gamble, but he's usually the type of player you gamble on with a 1st or 2nd pick. If you can land someone like that past 6-7 you take it and run.

I think Bamba fits in better than Willie TBH. If you watched the Kings defense towards the end of the year they would have the guards funnel their man to the rim and the lack of shotblocking was striking. I don't know if this defensive path is how they are going to proceed or if they were just getting a different look but if they do play this way they'll need something at the rim.

 

[hrdboild]

I thought it was a good idea to re-watch the old DX video on Gobert. Its still on YouTube.

Gobert is definitely the ceiling play with Bamba. They are comparable. I think every team in the NBA would love to have a Gobert-type player.
Still, I worry Bamba is even further away than Gobert was. Gobert made huge improvements to get where he is now. So Bamba has to replicate that + even more because he is even further away. For example, Gobert was listed at 238 pounds while Bamba is at 207. Thats a huge difference, especially at the center position. If he cannot take on weight, he is getting attacked every drip down. Even if he can, its going to take years. Somehow everyone is concerned with Skals weight at C, but even Skal had ten pounds on Bamba.
Further, Goberts awareness and rotations on D, especially in the pick and roll, are way more advanced. If Bamba had the same awareness, he would be much higher on my board. But he hasnt and awareness is so hard to improve. How many more bigs with limited instincts on D can this team draft?
Now, Bamba is more advanced shooting the ball and putting it on the floor. But is that really going to matter? Is he going to put the time in improving his strength, improving his defense like Gobert did? Or will he focus on offense instead to become the next shooting big like we see WCS do? Thats what executives have to figure out in Interviews.

I wouldn't worry too much about weight until we get official measurements. There's an article out there somewhere that says he got his playing weight up to 225 by the end of season working with the strength and conditioning staff at Texas. If that's true I would think Gobert's current listed weight of 245 is a realistic target for him 5 years into his career. Obviously that's not going to happen overnight. If Bamba is the pick we're going to have to be patient with his development. He was looking really good in mid February before a toe injury slowed him down-- his rebounding and free throw attempts were trending up and he was starting to knock down threes at a decent clip. Don't be surprised if he's gone before pick 7 comes up anyway.

 

[bajaden]

I'm sorry maybe it wasn't clear but I moved on to your referencing of the Duke - Texas game at that point. The Giles point was specifically made in reference to both Bamba and Giles showing most of their unusual big man skills at the high school level as some players do.

That's the thing, Bamba didn't really translate as a post game center in high school. He was someone that would or could go full court with the ball as a face up player. I think he'll eventually get better in the post even if he is more of a finesse type. With his length if he develops a decent hook shot, or fade away, and learns to sell contact, much like Davis BTW, he can earn mega points at the line.

Again, these are all raw skills. He's shown flashes of seeing things as a passer and whipping them in with accuracy. Everything he does and the reasons he'll be drafted high will be based around the idea that those things can and will be improved. This is why his ceiling is so high. Who knows if he gets all the way there but the unpolished evidence of those skills exists. Being that he's so young you're banking on all those things about him along with his physical development forming him into a diamond down the road. It's a gamble, but he's usually the type of player you gamble on with a 1st or 2nd pick. If you can land someone like that past 6-7 you take it and run.

I think Bamba fits in better than Willie TBH. If you watched the Kings defense towards the end of the year they would have the guards funnel their man to the rim and the lack of shotblocking was striking. I don't know if this defensive path is how they are going to proceed or if they were just getting a different look but if they do play this way they'll need something at the rim.

Look, if we end up drafting Bamba, I certainly hope everything your wishing for comes to pass. To be honest, I'm more concerned, or just as concerned about fit as I'am him reaching his potential. I have serious doubts about how well he'll fit what the Kings are trying to build. He's shown no ability to make any kind of creative pass. His recognition of where the open man is extremely poor. I have no doubt that eventually he'll make his mark as a shotblocker and a rebounder. But I'm not sure that's all the Kings are looking for.

That said, If you go through all the stats, Willie plays better at the PF position than he does at the center position, so to that extent, Bamba would relieve him of playing center, once he was up to speed. One more thing. Anyone that followed Willie from highschool, knows that in his first year at Kentucky, Calipari had him playing strictly in the post, and he averaged close to 4 blocked shots a game. However, every year after that. Calipari decided that Willie was more valuable guarding on the perimeter because of his lateral quickness combined with his size. As a result, his blocks per game went down, but Kentucky's overall defense improved. The Kings are using Willie in a very similar way defensively.

In one game where I kept track, Willie didn't have one blocked shot, but he stopped penetration into the lane 14 times. If you stop the ball before it gets to the basket, you don't have to block the shot. To me, Willie's weakness on defense last season was on late closeouts. Failing to recognize what was happening quickly enough. I think that's a weakness that's more relevant when he plays center, than when at PF. He's much better when sharing the floor with Koufos. So that could translate to sharing the floor with Bamba, or, Giles.

One more thing about fit. If your building a Dragster with a Chevy engine, and you find a great deal on an expensive carburetor that fits a ford engine, you don't buy it because its a bad fit. Nothing wrong with the carburetor. It's a great carburetor on the right engine, just not on your engine. It's time for the Kings to build a team with all the right parts. We weren't successful with Cousins, because we never had the right parts around him. We just kept doing plug and play, hoping we accidentally tripped over the right combination.

 

[hrdboild]

I have never compared Giles to Bamba. Two entirely different kind of players. Bagley would be a better comp for Giles than Bamba, and I haven't compared them either. Based on what I saw coming only out of highschool, I would have taken Giles 10 times out of 10 over Bagley. But that doesn't mean I don't like Bagley. As for how Giles played in college, it's meaningless. In many of the early games he played after clearing medical, he only played 6 or 7 minutes, and only under the basket. He was basically told to stand under the basket and rebound. That's it, period. Totally meaningless to the conversation. Lest people forget, prior to his injury, Giles was the best highschool basketball player in the nation.

As far as Bamba goes, my criticisms have nothing to do with how Smart used him. You either have a post game, or you don't. He was played mostly in the post, and had many, many opportunities to post up, and seldom did, and the few times he did post up a lot of them ended in disaster. He's not a very good passer either. I will grant you that Texas didn't try and run the ball through him, but many times when he had the ball away from the basket, his recognition was very poor. Not saying he can't improve, but only commenting on what is, not what might be.

The current video is encouraging. His release point is higher, and he's stopped pushing the ball out away from him on the way up to the release point like he was before. However, we need to see him in a game. There are a lot of players that can shoot the hell out of the ball in practice. But, as I said it's encouraging. What bothers me, is that no one seems to give a damm about fit. Just how good a fit is Bamba on the Kings? If you building a team based on a fast pace (pace doesn't mean how fast you run up the floor, but how long it takes you to shoot the ball) spreading the floor, and ball movement, how well does Bamba's skill set fit that scenario? I happen to think that's important.

I can definitely see the team going with one PF/C in the future with two combo forwards at the other two front-court positions who can both shoot and handle a bit. I was making potential lineups with all of the top prospects in the draft and the ones that seem to best fit the current direction of the league are the ones with a small ball PF who is actually more of a traditional SF (someone like Porter or even Miles Bridges) and only one traditional big (most likely Harry Giles unless we draft a big) holding down the middle. Jaren Jackson would fit that single big role as well because he moves really well around the floor on defense. Giles probably comes off the bench in that scenario or... If we are going to go with two traditional bigs, you're going to want one of them who can reliably knock down threes and move the ball within the offense which is where Wendell Carter Jr. also looks enticing. I also really like lineups with Doncic at SG or SF or Mikal Bridges at SF and a smallish PF who can shoot and also defend perimeter players.

DeAndre Ayton and Mo Bamba are the toughest guys to figure out fit-wise. Ayton is so big and skilled that I feel like you have to take him if given the opportunity (provided Doncic is already gone) and then you can figure out down the line if he's going to shoot well enough to play him alongside Giles or not. The only real concern I have with Giles is how well he's going to be able to cover on the perimeter with his knee issues. You put him at C and it's less of a concern. You put him at PF next to a human mountain like Ayton or Bamba and you're really asking a lot of your wings. What we don't want is a situation where 3 players have to find a way to guard 4 shooters at once because Ayton/Bamba/Giles can't get out to contest off switches fast enough. Bamba did block a lot of shots on the perimeter at Texas though. That massive standing reach basically counts as an extra step if he uses it well. Ayton is going to create problems for us defensively, we'd just have to hope that his offensive output is enough to make up for it. I don't see any indication that the league is moving in a direction where a twin towers lineup is going to be effective again anytime soon so this is a legitimate concern.

 

[SacTownKid]

Look, if we end up drafting Bamba, I certainly hope everything your wishing for comes to pass. To be honest, I'm more concerned, or just as concerned about fit as I'am him reaching his potential. I have serious doubts about how well he'll fit what the Kings are trying to build. He's shown no ability to make any kind of creative pass. His recognition of where the open man is extremely poor. I have no doubt that eventually he'll make his mark as a shotblocker and a rebounder. But I'm not sure that's all the Kings are looking for.

That said, If you go through all the stats, Willie plays better at the PF position than he does at the center position, so to that extent, Bamba would relieve him of playing center, once he was up to speed. One more thing. Anyone that followed Willie from highschool, knows that in his first year at Kentucky, Calipari had him playing strictly in the post, and he averaged close to 4 blocked shots a game. However, every year after that. Calipari decided that Willie was more valuable guarding on the perimeter because of his lateral quickness combined with his size. As a result, his blocks per game went down, but Kentucky's overall defense improved. The Kings are using Willie in a very similar way defensively.

In one game where I kept track, Willie didn't have one blocked shot, but he stopped penetration into the lane 14 times. If you stop the ball before it gets to the basket, you don't have to block the shot. To me, Willie's weakness on defense last season was on late closeouts. Failing to recognize what was happening quickly enough. I think that's a weakness that's more relevant when he plays center, than when at PF. He's much better when sharing the floor with Koufos. So that could translate to sharing the floor with Bamba, or, Giles.

One more thing about fit. If your building a Dragster with a Chevy engine, and you find a great deal on an expensive carburetor that fits a ford engine, you don't buy it because its a bad fit. Nothing wrong with the carburetor. It's a great carburetor on the right engine, just not on your engine. It's time for the Kings to build a team with all the right parts. We weren't successful with Cousins, because we never had the right parts around him. We just kept doing plug and play, hoping we accidentally tripped over the right combination.

It's not my wishing, I'm just relaying what I've seen from him skill wise. I was never off him being a huge risk or reward type. Teams tend to like those if the reward is high enough and I think it might be with him.

I was just looking up some Bamba highlights and saw this video, I tend to agree with it's overall tone and what is said both in terms of his negatives and positives:

If Bamba can be as versatile as he projects at his peak then fit will never be an issue and you certainly don't let anything the Kings currently have in the front court stop you from drafting him if he's the one they like.

 

[ESP47]

I'm not seeing the AD comparison at all. AD was raw but you could see the potential there in college. If you're looking for AD out of Bamba, you're basically looking for him to build this entire offensive arsenal with almost no previous base for it at all.

 

[SacTownKid]

I'm not seeing the AD comparison at all. AD was raw but you could see the potential there in college. If you're looking for AD out of Bamba, you're basically looking for him to build this entire offensive arsenal with almost no previous base for it at all.

Both of them came in as slender, awkwardly long face up types with more finesse than power. That's not to say that a team won't develop him into something else, my opinion is that it would be best to go with it and reach for the stars. Again, the raw potential is there, if he had that arsenal in full working order now there wouldn't even be a question about who the number 1 pick is going to be. It may prove out that he can't develop into the type he appears to be at times, that's why he's a risk.

Here is a video of a game before the college season started. This is Bamba playing a bit more free and closer to what he was before Texas put him in the role he had. The few instances of him in triple threat one on one with the ball isn't something to just gloss over. If he can get his handles under control he'll scare teams if that 3 point shot is consistent.

It's reminds me of Cousins in college. I was blown away by what I saw of him in high school and at the pro level all those things he wasn't put in position to do at Kentucky came back to the surface.

 

[allrightythen]

Thats fair, and has to be considered.
Although its less than a year differenc

Yeah and there are things that Bamba has that Rudy didn't and still doesn't. They are not identical but I think the defensive impact isn't a stretch for Bamba to reach. With NBA style training I think he can build the strength and body needed to go with that incredible length and shot blocking. I think his offense will come along as well and eventually be better than Gobert. It's going to take time though and I'm not sure he's a great fit here with the Kings. For what it's worth I'd rather have JJJ and I think the potential of Bamba vs. the steady/solid production of Wendell Carter will be a dilemma for some teams.

 

[ESP47]

Both of them came in as slender, awkwardly long face up types with more finesse than power. That's not to say that a team won't develop him into something else, my opinion is that it would be best to go with it and reach for the stars. Again, the raw potential is there, if he had that arsenal in full working order now there wouldn't even be a question about who the number 1 pick is going to be. It may prove out that he can't develop into the type he appears to be at times, that's why he's a risk.

Here is a video of a game before the college season started. This is Bamba playing a bit more free and closer to what he was before Texas put him in the role he had. The few instances of him in triple threat one on one with the ball isn't something to just gloss over. If he can get his handles under control he'll scare teams if that 3 point shot is consistent.

It's reminds me of Cousins in college. I was blown away by what I saw of him in high school and at the pro level all those things he wasn't put in position to do at Kentucky came back to the surface.

If we draft him I hope he's as good as you're thinking he can be. If we pass on him, I hope he's nothing of the sort

He kind of reminds me of 2018 Willie Cauley Stein offensively but he's much younger with plenty of time to develop. I wouldn't hold out hope on him being AD but being offensively and defensively better than WCS would be very valuable.