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Dallas Mavericks: Is Mohamed Bamba the Next Rudy Gobert?

By James Gwatkin

AUSTIN, TX - JANUARY 27: Mohamed Bamba #4 of the Texas Longhorns prepares to shoot a free throw against the Mississippi Rebels at the Frank Erwin Center on January 27, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images)
AUSTIN, TX - JANUARY 27: Mohamed Bamba #4 of the Texas Longhorns prepares to shoot a free throw against the Mississippi Rebels at the Frank Erwin Center on January 27, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Chris Covatta/Getty Images) /
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On June 21, the Dallas Mavericks will pick 5th in the 2018 NBA Draft. Us Mav fans were hoping for a higher pick but could we still be in for an All-Star or an NBA All-Defensive first team player?

Mohamed Bamba

Mohamed Bamba stands at an extraordinary 7’0 tall and has a 7′ 10 wingspan. Mo Bamba averaged 3.7 blocks per game in college for the Texas Longhorns, which is the type of shot-blocking and defence that Dallas needs in their frontcourt.

In college, Mo Bamba’s wingspan and defensive plays got him very popular with NBA scouts and NBA fans alike.  Bamba did average 12.9 points in college but I think Bamba needs to work on his offence to really make it in this modern NBA. If Mo worked on a hook shot or a skyhook I think this would really be useful to him offensively.

Mo did shoot 27% from three in college so he can stretch the floor, however, I think Dallas could use Mo as an ‘old fashioned’ big to get players open on the perimeter.  Tracy McGrady said to Mo Bamba on “The Jump” that many bigs in this NBA “don’t take advantage of being down in the post”.

I totally agree with T-Mac because I think that if Mo gets really good in the post, Dallas could slow down games and kick it to Bamba on most plays. Mo Bamba has been compared to Rudy Gobert on many occasions.

Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert has just been named in the NBA All-Defensive first team. Gobert has a 9’7 wingspan which is 3 inches shorter than Mo’s. In the NBA, Gobert has proved himself to be a terrific shot blocker. In his career he has averaged 2.2 blocks a night.

Like Mo, Rudy has never been known for his offence but he has averaged 10 points in his career which is not the worse for an ‘old fashioned’ big man.  Defence has always been Gobert’s strong point. In his four seasons in the league, he has been in the NBA All-Defensive first team twice and he led the league in blocks in the 2016-2017 season.

Next: NBA Mock Draft 2.0

If Mo can work on his defence over the summer and maybe work on his offence more, I think he will be a really good pick for the Mavs. I think Mo could follow Gobert’s footsteps in making the NBA All-Defensive team in the future and I think Mo could be one of the best shot blockers in the current NBA.