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Texas Basketball: Longhorns’ alum Mo Bamba set to be a key long-term piece for the Magic

By Andrew Miller

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 09: Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns is guarded by Mohamed Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic during the 2018 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Suns defeated the Magic 71-53. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 09: Deandre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns is guarded by Mohamed Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic during the 2018 NBA Summer League at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 9, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Suns defeated the Magic 71-53. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /
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The Orlando Magic got one of the most potent talents in the 2018 NBA Draft by selecting former Texas basketball center Mohamed Bamba.

Texas basketball had one selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, and it came very early on in the first round. With the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2018 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic were the lucky franchise that selected former Longhorns’ star center Mohamed Bamba. In the NBA Summer League in 2018, Bamba got his first taste of action at the next level.

Bamba also got to face some of the best rookie competition that he’ll see in the NBA this season. At one point he even got to take on the No. 1 overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 2018 NBA Draft in the NBA Summer League. Taking on the former Arizona Wildcats star center DeAndre Ayton should have been an important experience for Bamba.

Fans of the Magic got to see that Bamba was not as polished as Ayton at this point, but the potential is clearly there in boat loads. The Magic selected Bamba to become the future of this frontcourt along with former Arizona power forward Aaron Gordon. Bamba will also get to learn from a standout NBA center this season in Nikola Vucevic.

The frontcourt could get a bit crowded for the Magic if both Vucevic and former Florida State Seminoles forward Jonathan Isaac. If nothing else, at least the Magic do have one of the brightest futures of any frontcourt in the Eastern Conference. Bamba is the most potent out of that group, though.

In the highly anticipated debut of Bamba in the 2018 NBA Summer League, he was able to put up 11 points and seven rebounds in a solid effort against fellow former Texas center Jarrett Allen and the Brooklyn Nets. Through the first three Summer League games, Bamba was averaging a double-double each game and more than 15 points per game.

By registering some nice performances consistently throughout the summer, Bamba showed he’s at least ready for a large role in his rookie season. Bamba is surrounded by a good frontcourt and a building backcourt with the Magic. The Eastern Conference will also be an easier path for a rising team like the Magic than it would be out West.

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It might take some time for Bamba to reach his ceiling since he’s a raw talent, but he should be good in his rookie campaign too. He looks to take a similar path to that of Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid in his early years of his career. Embiid even gave some nice words to Bamba by saying “he’s got a bright future”, according to ESPN.

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