Man, his shot has been really really rough. It doesn't look like there are glaring faults in his mechanics as well, he just has no idea where it's going. There's so much to like about his game, but I'm not sure you can take him over Doncic and the two centers if he's that far away from being a threat outside of 10 feet.
On the other hand, I'm amazed every time I see Bamba's shooting form. It's way better than a 7 footer with a 7'9" wingspan has a right to be and I'm pretty confident he can extend his range out to the NBA 3 given enough time and practice reps.
View: https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz/status/933868136897458176
Also, can someone post this?
View: https://twitter.com/Mike_Schmitz/status/933879902255714304
1. The unicorn centers
Tim Warner/Houston Chronicle via AP
The case could easily be made that Deandre Ayton and Mohamed Bamba are the two most intriguing long-term prospects in the 2018 draft, given their tremendous physical profiles and developing modern skills. Like Karl-Anthony Towns, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porzingis before them, Ayton and Bamba have unicorn potential.
Deandre Ayton | Arizona
Physical comparison: Greg Oden, Steven Adams, Brook Lopez
At 7-foot-½, with a shredded, proportionate, 261-pound frame and a 7-foot-5 wingspan, Ayton has some physical similarities to a healthy 19-year-old Greg Oden. Although different athletically, his measurements are also similar to those of Steven Adams and Brook Lopez.
Main intrigue: Franchise center potential
Ayton is the most physically dominant prospect in the class, and his ability to add value across the board makes him a potential franchise-caliber center. Although all of this hinges on his discipline (addressed below), there aren't many 7-footers in the NBA who are physically capable of guarding DeMarcus Cousins on one possession and Anthony Davis the next. He fits in the switch-heavy NBA on defense while showing the potential to pop to 3 on the other end.
He's a tremendous face-up player and a developing passer, and he has the length and explosiveness to space the floor vertically as a lob-catcher. When motivated, Ayton should also be the best rebounder on the floor most nights. Simply put, prospects with Ayton's physical dominance and budding skill don't come around often.
Swing skill: Discipline
Ayton will have to prove to NBA scouts that he can remain disciplined on both ends of the floor under head coach Sean Miller while channeling his outward emotions in a positive manner. Although he isn't overly mopey or sluggish, he often spends too much time floating on the perimeter, settling for flat jumpers and failing to screen, dive or crash when given the opportunity. His discipline also wavers as a rim protector, as he'll opt to leak out in transition rather than anchor the defense.
Those warts will be tested under the defensively focused Miller on a team with Final Four expectations, and if he passes, he figures to garner considerable interest as a potential top pick.
Mohamed Bamba | Texas
Physical comparisons: Rudy Gobert, Hassan Whiteside, Alexis Ajinca
At 7-foot with a 7-foot-9 wingspan and a 9-foot-6 standing reach, Bamba's closest physical comparison is Rudy Gobert. More fluid than Gobert at the same age, Bamba has quite a bit of untapped physical potential. With wide shoulders and long, thin legs, he's likely to fill out impressively in time and gain even more explosiveness as he strengthens his base.
Main intrigue: Franchise center potential
Like Ayton, Bamba has franchise-changing tools and skills, yet he's in a bit of a different mold. Still growing into his frame, Bamba has the defensive range to eventually develop into one of the better rim protectors in the NBA. With impressive fluidity and one of the longest wingspans in the history of the DraftExpress Database, Bamba is what the NBA wants defensively, with his ability to switch and anchor. Bamba's tremendous reach and agility also give him immense potential on the glass.
On top of his Gobert-like defensive potential, Bamba can step out and shoot the ball from college 3, put it down on the dribble and pass with a sound feel for the game. He isn't as demonstrative a personality as Ayton, and the Texas freshman --
who has attended the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference at MIT twice -- is much more calculated in his approach. Like Ayton, Bamba figures to be in the mix at No. 1, as he possesses more physical upside than any other player in the draft.
Swing skill: Consistent energy
Playing hard consistently was the biggest question surrounding Bamba at the prep level, and he'll need to answer that night in and night out for NBA teams to feel comfortable drafting him early. Too often apathetic on the floor, Bamba can ease scouts' concerns by playing with more fire than he has shown in the past while having a regular impact on winning. Besides his motor and lack of physicality at times, there aren't many holes in Bamba's overall scouting file.
