2018 NBA Mock Draft: The standings are set

This is the biggest surprise I walked myself into this week, going down the rabbit hole of one player falling. It happens every year, and so in an attempt to not be surprised, I tried to consider who might be a likely candidate. While some have Bamba still as high as the top five, I think in the minds of many, he has fallen considerably since the beginning of the college season.

The jumper we all heard about was almost invisible, while his defense offered little excitement most nights outside gimme rim protection and the occasional contained switch. The top of the draft is about what players can become. It’s tough to fall in love with Bamba knowing one outcome for him is a guy out of the league who never figures it out. That’s one reason he could fall.

Looking for their eventual De’Andre Jordan replacement, I doubt the Clippers let him fall further than this. While they may play differently as they continue to re-mold their roster, the team’s ability to play small through Tobias Harris and Danilo Gallinari relies on top-tier rim protection from the center spot. While Bamba may not do much else, he has tremendous potential to be a game-changing rim protector.

It’s worth the risk if other teams are scared away to this point.