Dallas Mavericks Draft Preview

With the 5th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks select…

The Dallas Mavericks will have the 5th pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, June 21. With this pick I believe they will select center Mohamed Bamba out of the University of Texas at Austin.

Pros:

At 7 feet tall and with a wingspan of 7′ 10″, Bamba has the body of a future defensive star. He averaged 3.7 blocks per-game in his sole collegiate season and is probably the best rim protector in the draft. He was also a beast on rebounds and averaged 10.5 per-game.

Offensively, Bamba averaged 12.9 points per-game in college, lots of them coming off of dunks or offensive rebounds. He was not great in the post last year but, with his frame, those skills can definitely be developed. While Bamba only shot 27.5% from three last year, he has pretty good form and has been practicing his shooting a lot this offseason. If Bamba can add a good three-point shot to his freakish length, he could develop into a very good offensive weapon.

Owing to his height and work ethic, Bamba has the potential to become one of, the best players in the draft.

Cons:

Bamba is very slim for his height and will need to add strength in the next few years. This added weight will help him control the paint even better on defense. He will also have to refine his game offensively including his post game and shooting skills. Bamba is still a pretty raw prospect despite his great potential.

Conclusion:

Already an amazing player on defense, Bamba can become the best player in his class if he adds more offensive tools. His height and length already give him potential to control the paint on defense. With his rebounding ability, Bamba is going to be a constant double-double threat at the next level. But he is a raw prospect and will likely take a few years to fully develop.

Bamba would be able to learn from future Hall of Fame Dirk Nowitzki and get advice on the offensive end. My player comparison for Bamba is Clint Capela.

Trades:

The Mavericks are currently one of seven teams looking to trade with the Memphis Grizzlies for the #4 pick. The Mavs have been heavily linked with guard Luka Doncic and look for Dallas to potentially move up in the draft to try and get him.