Memphis Grizzlies: 2018 NBA Draft Big Board 1.0

No. 7: Mo Bamba

No one in this draft scares me more than Mo Bamba. If you’re a Memphis Grizzlies fan, you understand why.

Everything about him makes you think about Hasheem Thabeet. His physical stature and his shot-blocking instincts scream Hasheem Thabeet.

However, he might not exactly be Thabeet.

Unlike the Memphis bust, Bamba has a solid offensive game. He’s flashed potential from deep and can run the floor in transition. In addition, he just seems more alert on the court than Thabeet ever was.

Despite that, I think you only take Bamba if he’s head-and-shoulders the best player on the board. His easy comparison is Rudy Gobert, and that would be awesome. However, he has the lowest floor of anyone in the top-10. Heck, he may have the lowest floor of anyone in the lottery.

He wouldn’t be a bad pick at say 7 or 8 by any means. He’ll have the opportunity to learn under one of the most decorated centers of the past decade. In addition, he won’t be immediately thrown into the fire as a starting center.

If Bamba pans out, he can be awesome, as he has the tools to be an All-Defensive center for many years. If he busts though, it could get ugly.