Magic center Mohamed Bamba stayed in Orlando rather than traveling to Boston for the Magic’s Friday tilt against the Celtics due to the NBA’s coronavirus health and safety protocols, according to Roy Parry of the Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).
Robbins notes that Bamba’s absence is a result of “non-team contact tracing,” though Bamba himself has not tested positive for COVID-19.
The 6-5 Magic are currently the No. 5 seed in the East, mostly behind the play of starting center Nikola Vučević, guard Terrence Ross, and forward Aaron Gordon.
Bamba’s absence may not have much of an on-court impact for the Magic. The 22-year-old reserve big man out of Texas is averaging 5.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 0.5 APG and 0.5 BPG across a career-low 8.3 MPG in four games for the Magic this season.
Bamba previously contracted the coronavirus in June and struggled to recover through the beginning of the NBA’s Orlando-based summer restart to the 2019/20 season. At the time, he dealt with significant symptoms, including fatigue, muscle soreness, and a temporary loss of his senses of taste and smell.
What’s the status of La Bamba ??
bamba honestly thinks he could turn into a superstar by playing behind an Vuc. lol. dude has a longer wingspan than tacko fall. dont know how hes averaging 8 mins per game as a former pick 6. maybe da raptors should pick him up then i will be back to being a raptors fan. baynes for bamba is a good trade. it gives bamba a chance to start possibly and give baynes at chance to excel at being a benchwarmer dont u guys think
I’ve got to agree with you that I feel like Bamba could definitely be putting up getter numbers if given a bigger opportunity. Maybe at this point you’re right that he needs a chance of scenery. Idk the whole usage of him, or lack thereof I guess, seems odd. I mean he typically seems to produce when given minutes to do so… so that his playing time is down so much this year just seems kind of strange. And even with the pretty tiny 8.3 MPG he’s still been able to score 5 PPG and grab 3.5 RPG. Definitely seems to indicate he could do more if given the chance.
Nah, it’s not about opportunity, he’s gotten plenty of it when healthy. Unfortunately health has been a huge problem.
He missed half of his rookie season with a leg fracture. That injury also kept him out all summer so he missed his entire 1st offseason of development (key for young players).
Despite that, he made very solid progress his 2nd year and was starting to play really well…then Covid shut down the NBA.
Over the hiatus he added a lot of much needed mass, but then caught Covid two weeks before the bubble restart began. That seriously impacted his breathing and conditioning enough that the Magic’s medical staff were concerned enough to shut him down completely.
Entering this years training camp, he was still being held out for Covid related issues. That set his conditioning and put him behind the curve yet again.
Then a couple days after finally getting cleared to play by ORL medical staff, he got flagged by NBA for Covid contact tracing. Because of that, he wasn’t allowed to go with ORL on their current 2 week road trip.
So as you see its just been one health thing after another that has been holding him back.
ORL says cmon man get serious.
What they need to do is trade McCaw & a late pick for Zach Collins.Then trade Powell, Stanley Johnson & a second round pick for a Derozen-Raptors reunion…
Bamba’s making $6M this year and scheduled to make $7.5M next year, kind of expensive for a player averaging less than 10 Minutes per game.
The potential is there but can he ever stay on the court?
ikr.
A leg fracture ruined his rookie season and 1st offseason of development.
2nd year he was really starting to show his defensive potential, but then Covid shut down NBA
Then over hiatus he caught Covid which took him out of the bubble and also this season’s training camp.
A couple of weeks ago, he finally got cleared to play. BUT shortly after got flagged by NBA for Covid contact tracing. Because of that he wasn’t allowed to go with Magic on their current 2 week road trip.
Bamba to the nets
conspiracy theory. magic are torpedoeing bamba’s value for future cost control advantage. restricted minutes now makes his next contract a bargain.
nope, he’s been injured and had Covid which really impacted his health
The magic don’t even play him, Ken Birch gets the backup minutes…
that’s because he’s been injured or sidelined with Covid …he had finally gotten cleared by medical staff a couple of weeks ago and then he got flagged by NBA for covid tracing so couldn’t go w/Magic on their two week road trip
I’ll never understand drafting a guy and not playing him. Play him two yrs in G-league. He grows and learns your offense. That’s what G-league is for. There he gets use to the size of NBA. You don’t get better or grow as player by sitting. Why draft a player if you’re not going to make him the best he can be. Don’t get it.
That’s NOT what’s happening.
A midseason leg fracture ruined his rookie season and 1st offseason of development.
2nd year he was primary back up C playing meaningful role and minutes. He was really starting to show his defensive potential. Then Covid shut down the NBA.
Over the hiatus he caught Covid which really impacted his health, took him completely out of the bubble and also this season’s training camp.
A couple of weeks ago, he finally got cleared to play by ORL’s medical staff. BUT shortly after got flagged by the NBA for Covid contact tracing. Because of that he wasn’t allowed to go with Magic on their current 2 week road trip.
still, wuts da point of him staying in orlando. if he comes back, i dont think hes gunna earn some meaningful mins with birch playing da 5 behind vuevic.
Birch’s deal is expiring…he will be an unrestricted free agent and its unlikely that ORL re-signs him…it’s even possible he gets traded.