Chicago Bulls: Mo Bamba has done his homework

The Chicago Bulls had a chance to work out 2018 NBA Draft prospect Mo Bamba, and the former Texas standout knew his stuff when it came to the organization.

Friday, the Chicago Bulls brought in one of the hotter names among draft prospects being associated with the team — center Mo Bamba out of Texas. The 7-footer is projected as a top-10 pick currently, and most think he could go just before the Bulls around picks five or six.

Chicago is slotted seventh overall, of course, after falling back a spot in the draft lottery. Either way, the Bulls are still going to be just fine and come away with a great, young player. Could it be Michael Porter Jr.? Could it be Wendell Carter Jr.? Maybe.

But, the best-case scenario may end up being if Bamba slips to them at no. 7. The big man has a combine-record-breaking wingspan of 7-foot-10 and is considered one of the best defensive players in the draft — if not the best.

Bamba was interviewed following his workout with the Bulls and had a pretty spot-on summary of his thoughts on how he fits in with the team. Per the Chicago Sun Times:

"“I mean when you look at all the categories that they struggled in, those are all things that I can step in and impact immediately. They were either last or second [to last] in blocked shots. I think of myself as a pretty good shot blocker. I feel like I can step in immediately and have an impact with this organization.”"

Bamba was right on in his assessment of the Bulls over the course of their 2017-2018 campaign. Chicago finished dead last in the NBA at just 3.5 blocks per game as a team. It’s pretty hilarious hearing Bamba say he thinks he’s pretty good at blocking shots, considering his 3.7 blocks per game last year equated to a school record — 111 blocks on the season.

Not to mention, he averaged more blocks per game at Texas than the Bulls did as a team a year ago. Sure, that was college — but we’re talking about a single player out-performing an entire team.

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The Bulls were actually quite productive on the glass, averaging 44.7 boards per game, good for sixth-best in the league. They could have used a bit of help on the offensive glass, though, averaging 9.6 per game which was good for 16th in the NBA.

A lot is said about his presence defensively, and how effortless he makes it look on that end at times. But, he can actually score pretty consistently as well. The Bulls wanted to see his three-point shot and how much it has been developed.

"“We shot a lot of threes … I shot OK from three. A lot of pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll. A lot of lobs. Some of the coaches had fun throwing me lobs.”"

Bamba did shoot a respectable 27.5 percent from deep last year, but that’s still no where near the Bulls’ 21st-ranked percentage of 35.5 last season. He won’t be asked to shoot too many threes, as he’ll likely be a defense-first type of player who offers rebounding and a lot of momentum-swinging plays offensively — near the rim, of course.

It is encouraging to know he has continued to work on his jumper, including from outside. However, Bamba’s biggest strength lies on the end without possessing the ball. His presence in the paint could set the tone for a Bulls defense that struggled mightily last year. Chicago finished with the 28th-ranked defensive rating in all of basketball. Bamba would likely swing that in the right direction, single-handedly.

"“My assessment is they have a lot of talent in a lot of different areas and this is a team for the future. It’s a very young team and I can see myself playing here.”"

We will find out soon enough who the Bulls will land at no. 7 overall. For now, the workouts and research continue. Could Bamba be wearing the classic red and black later this month? It just might happen — at least we know he can envision it.

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