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Phoenix Suns Scouting: Mohamed Bamba

By Joseph Lowery

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Texas Longhorns forward Mohamed Bamba (4) dribbles past Nevada Wolf Pack guard Josh Hall (33) during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship First Round game between the Nevada Wolf Pack on March 16, 2018 and the Texas Longhorns at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 16: Texas Longhorns forward Mohamed Bamba (4) dribbles past Nevada Wolf Pack guard Josh Hall (33) during the NCAA Division I Men's Championship First Round game between the Nevada Wolf Pack on March 16, 2018 and the Texas Longhorns at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Steve Roberts/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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If the Phoenix Suns slip to 4th in the draft order, they could be looking at selecting one of the nation’s most heralded big men: Mohamed Bamba.

College Career

A top prospect going into college, Mohamed Bamba elected to attend the University of Texas. Bamba had a successful statistical season, averaging a double-double with 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game. Unfortunately, these impressive statistics did not help Texas advance far in the postseason. Shaka Smart’s squad bowed out in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Nevada.

Four days after the tournament loss, Bamba officially declared for the NBA draft.

Strengths

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Phoenix Suns

Mo Bamba is a beast. Standing at 7′ tall with a 9’6″ reach, Bamba is an extremely effective shot blocker. He averaged 3.7 blocks per game in his time at Texas and has the tools to be one of the best rim protectors in the NBA.

While Bamba is still a bit slight, if he is able to put on some more muscle he will be more than just a shot blocker at the next level: he could become a top defensive big man. Quick on his feet, Bamba is able to hedge or contain when defending the pick and roll. He also uses his size and quickness to gobble up rebounds on both ends of the court.

Weaknesses

For as talented as he is, Mohamed Bamba is very, very raw.

Offensively, he is a work in progress. Bamba is clearly putting in work on his jump shot, but we have not seen him shoot it consistently from outside. He struggles with consistent post moves down low, especially when matched up against bigger, stronger defenders (like the ones he will see in the NBA).

Overall, none of these “weaknesses” are things that cannot be fixed with some dedicated time in the gym, which Bamba is clearly doing. Still, it will be intriguing to see how Bamba performs at the NBA combine and in his pre-draft workouts.

Next: Phoenix Suns Scouting: Robert Williams

Why would the Suns want Mohamed Bamba?

Frankly, Mohamed Bamba is a risk. He is not a polished, NBA-ready player. Why would the Suns want him then? Because Mo Bamba has all of the physical tools necessary to become a dominant NBA player; Bamba is the definition of a high-risk/high-reward pick.

Do the Suns have the guts to take him?

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