ORLANDO – Most agree that Mohamed Bamba’s top overall strength is his ability to protect the rim. A 7-foot-10 wingspan, outstanding defensive instincts and good mobility are a few reasons why the 20-year-old from Harlem, New York averaged the second most blocked shots in all of college basketball this past season.
Even more impressive, though, was the fact that Bamba averaged more blocks (3.7) than fouls (2.5) in his one-and-done year at Texas.
To give you a better perspective of just how extraordinary this ratio is, here’s a look at what Bamba’s closest competitors from the 2018 draft class averaged in these two categories in college:
What does it say about a player who records more blocked shots than personal fouls? Above all else, it suggests Bamba is highly disciplined. Rather than hunt for blocks – which is often associated with taking unnecessary risks – Bamba is more methodical in his approach.
No different than a player’s shooting mechanics, ball-handling techniques or passing accuracy, blocking shots is a practiced craft. It takes much more than just being tall and very athletic to be an elite rim protector.
If this statistic translates, Bamba will likely separate himself from the other top shot blockers in the NBA. Not even Rudy Gobert, the league’s reigning Defensive Player of the Year and a player Bamba has been compared to, was able to average more blocks than fouls this past season.
Unlike in the 80s and 90s – Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan all averaged more blocks than fouls when they were in college – it’s rare these days for young big men in the infantile stages of their development to be this self-controlled on defense.
Most of today’s best centers averaged more fouls than blocks when they were in college. Take a look:
With two of the league’s best young interior defenders – Jonathan Isaac is the other – the sky is the limit for just how good Orlando could be defensively in the future.