2018 NBA Mock Draft: The lottery is done and the order is set
Mohamed Bamba. 7. player. 24. . C. Texas
Bamba officially broke all the records at this year’s draft combine, most of which had previously been set by Rudy Gobert, setting the stage for Bamba to ram into that comparison head-on in the NBA next year. The Bulls would love to watch that experiment up close, needing all the upside they can find in the middle of the lottery until they finally buy fully into the tank.
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony reported Thursday that Bamba’s wingspan at the combine was measured at 7-foot-10, with a 9-foot-7.5 standing reach. However, Givony also reported that Bamba weighs 12 pounds less than Gobert did at the combine in 2013. One thing in Bamba’s favor, however, is that Gobert was a full year older than Bamba is now when he came to the combine in 2013. Bamba just turned 20 last weekend, whereas Gobert was nearly 21.
That comparison is not all that matters when considering Bamba’s future, but watching this year’s playoffs, it’s tough not to be excited about someone with potentially greater physical gifts coupled with similar athleticism and even more offensive upside.
In the middle of a weird, non-tanking rebuild, Chicago shouldn’t be afraid to bet on potential when they have the time to focus on development for players like Bamba.