I know Bamba has fallen off considerably relative to his pre-season hype, due to a lackluster performance by Texas this season and the inability for Bamba to build his jumper into a weapon at the next level. But as the saying goes, it only takes one team.
All season long, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of a big man learning under Rick Carlisle and growing alongside Dennis Smith Jr. in Dallas. There are a ton of options this year, and if Dallas picks third, it’s really a matter of preference. They could go for any of the bigs and make it work, but I’m partial to Bamba for the Mavericks in particular. I think their drop coverage system would be helpful for Bamba’s development on defense, and they have enough offensive talent (especially with Dirk Nowitzki likely returning), to space the floor and let him operate around the rim.
He is a strong player, finishes around the rim aggressively most of the time and rebounds well. The weaknesses are more mental, and in the secondary parts of his game. He can’t pass, but that’s not so bad when Carlisle plays multiple point guards at a time nearly every possession. He can’t do much besides block shots at this point on defense, but that’s again easier to manage when you play small like the Mavericks.
Most teams trust their own player development system, but I think for project big men, Dallas has become one of the best. If anyone reaches for Bamba, it would be Dallas.