Atlanta Hawks: 1 player to poach from each division rival

Atlanta Hawks stolen rival player No. 1: Mo Bamba has never gotten a fair shake in Orlando

The Orlando Magic’s plan for Mo Bamba was unclear from the very beginning. Nikola Vucevic was their best player at the start of his prime and they had a clear and present need for a point guard. They would pass on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who would go four picks later, among many other players to take Bamba sixth overall.

He’s started all of six games in his three pro seasons.

Injuries have played a large part in the delayed development of the 7-foot, 231-pound center too.

"“This is not entirely the team’s fault. Bamba played only 47 games in his rookie season because of a stress fracture in his leg and ended up missing the playoff series with the Toronto Raptors, hindering his development after a positive start to his career. After making a return last season, he saw his minutes reduced slightly. But Bamba was solidly the backup center for the team. He showed better understanding and awareness defensively and his per-36 numbers were encouraging for a young center. With the season cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bamba caught the virus himself which impacted his conditioning and prevented him from competing inside the bubble. So much so that he had to be sent home early from the Orlando bubble and again missed the postseason.”"

Still, Bamba is very skilled, averaging 2.9 blocks and 1.7 assists to go with 18.2 points and 13.3 rebounds per 36 minutes last season.

He is also a potential perimeter threat, hitting 32.5 percent of his triples in his career.