2018 NBA Draft: Mo Bamba could be a serious threat in the NBA

University of Texas Center and projected first-round pick Mo Bamba is a dual threat on the court and has the chance to be a very good NBA player thanks to an astounding 7-foot-10 wingspan

Mo Bamba is one of the most intriguing prospects in this year’s NBA draft class. He is projected to go in the top ten right now, but thanks to a natural feel for defense and a monstrous frame, he could go higher than expected.

The Harlem, New York native averaged 12.9 points per game and an impressive 10.5 rebounds per contest in his lone year with the Longhorns.

Strengths

Bamba is an elite athlete despite being 7-feet tall. He moves around very well and absolutely dominates inside the paint defensively thanks to long limbs and an insane reach. His ability to play great defense is the reason he will go within the top 10 picks of this summer’s draft. He could be the most advanced defender in this draft class other than Jaren Jackson Jr. from Michigan State.

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Bamba averaged 3.7 blocks per contest this past season with Texas, using his enormous wingspan to swat shots. He has such an advantage with the large wingspan he possesses because he can literally block so many shots or just simply get in the way of opponents. He protects the rim very well and certainly has all the skills to be a very good defender at the NBA level.

Offensively, Bamba has a fairly interesting game. He uses his length on the offensive end to throw down slam dunks as he showed this year in college. Basketball is changing in the sense we see 7-footers like Bamba who can shoot from downtown.

Bamba only shot 27 percent from the 3-point line, and only attempted 1.7 3’s per game this season. Despite that, it could be an asset he could really improve on and it may add another skill set to his game. He has a smooth looking shot with a high release and has enough athleticism to become a decent shooter from long range.

Bamba shot 54 percent from the field this past season and 68 percent from the free-throw line. He is a good shooter given his size. His offensive game really comes alive though when he gets to the rim. There were numerous times this past season where Bamba would get the ball at the top of the paint and surge towards the hoop and throw down vicious dunks. When he gets the opportunity to attack the rim, absolutely no one can stop him. When he gets to the Association, obviously there will be players who can contain him to a certain extent. But once he puts on some more weight and fills out, he will be very hard for anyone to stop inside the paint.

Weaknesses

Bamba definitely needs to add some weight to his frame. He weighs in at just 225 pounds despite being 7-feet. He is very lean and thin and even though he dominated in college, there were certain players who did outplay him such as Marvin Bagley, another elite prospect for this year’s draft.

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He must add some strength in order to be an elite player at the next level. Bamba is still just 20 years old, so he definitely has lots of time to fill out. If he could add another 15-20 pounds of muscle, his game will be even more outstanding.

Future is bright for Bamba

Mo Bamba has the chance to be a very special player at the next level. He has a rare combination of speed, size, and athleticism that we don’t see very often from 7-footers. Don’t be surprised to see Bamba named to a first-team all-NBA defensive team in the next few years.