The Hawks played host to former University of Texas forward Mohamed Bamba for a pre-draft workout on Thursday. He is likely to be available when the Hawks are on the clock with the No. 3 pick, assuming they keep it and don’t trade down.
Bamba is an elite defensive prospect in large part because of his massive wingspan: it measured 7-foot-10 last month at the draft combine, a record for that event, and his standing reach is nearly 9 feet, 8 inches. His offensive game needs development but he should make an immediate impact on defense.
Click here for Hawks assistant general manager Jeff Peterson's thoughts on Bamba. He said Bamba compares favorably to Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who is one of the best rim protectors in the league.
Click here for my March report on Bamba from Austin, Texas, Longhorns coach Shaka Smart said Bamba didn't have to play very hard in high school because he was so physically dominant but improved in that area at Texas.
Below are some lightly edited excerpts from Bamba’s media session with Atlanta media following his Hawks workout:
Q. What are your thoughts on Hawks coach Lloyd Pierce?
A. I love coach Pierce. Literally as I got in the plane to leave Los Angeles, where I was training, to do this workout I ran into (76ers center) Joel Embiid at the airport. (Pierce was a Sixers assistant coach before the Hawks hired him last month.) We were just sitting in the car talking for about 45 minutes and he was telling me about coach Pierce and his defensive schemes and how he loves bigs like me. He told me he thought personally this was the best fit for me.
Q. When you say bigs like you, what do you mean?
A. Long, agile, mobile, guys who can really change the geometry of the game.
Q. Coach Pierce has got on the court for some of these workouts. Did he do that with you today?
A. No, coach wasn't quite as hands on. He sat back and watched a lot of the workout and from what I hear I think he was pretty impressed surprised with how much feel I have for the game.
Q. Was the Hawks workout different from others?
A. A lot of it was similar. But we kept moving. There was a lot of movement, there was a lot of conditioning and a lot of shots. I think I shot the ball more here.
Q. What do you want to project to the Hawks about your personality?
A. I wanted them to know I'm the most adaptable player in this draft. With the direction they are going now and kind of rebuilding — coach hates that word, rebuilding — but I really wanted them to know how adaptable I am.
Q. Do you think you are a piece for them to rebuild with?
A. Absolutely. One thing I think the Hawks have that differentiates them from other organizations is they pride themselves on (player development) and how they are. That's the bridge between potential and production out there on the court. This is honestly the best place to develop and come to terms with who I am as a player.
Q. What are your thoughts on coming to Atlanta?
A. A lot of guys are going to sit here and say, I love Atlanta. But I truly feel like as if there's a fit here. You preach that player development, it's a big component for me. I've been to Atlanta a few times. I know the history. It's the Capitol of the South, you know? It would be an awesome place to play.
Q. What are your thoughts about potentially playing next to John Collins?
A. I'm quite familiar with John and Taurean (Prince) and Isaiah Taylor (who also played at Texas). With John, I've known him for some time. I'v e known him before he kind of blew up to the scale he's at now. I met him a long time ago at Wake Forest when we were playing pickup. I guess the thing was, let's pick on the recruit. I didn't know he was the best player on the team so I kind of went out there and guarded him and they have him the ball three straight possessions. It took me a whole to figure out they were trying to pick on me. But with John, he's been as helpful as anyone else. He would be a great guy to be around as a big brother.
Q. You seem excited about the Hawks. Did you feel that way before you worked out?
A. To be honest, I really couldn't sleep last night because I was so excited to show what I can do and show why I'm the guy for this organization.
Q. Would you say you are the best player in the draft?
A. I would never go out and say I'm the best player in the draft. I kind of let me game do the speaking. But as far as production and my impact on the game I feel there is no one else in the draft who can impact the game like I do.
Q. Have you always been tall for your age?
A. Yeah, that kind of contributes a lot to my mobility and my coordination. I was always one of the taller kids so that was a constant thing for me. I was able to be agile and move and have really good feet.
Q. When did you realize that you needed to fit into the modern NBA with your skill set and how long have you been preparing for that challenge?
A. The common thing about the NBA is you have pros who master what they do best. At the end of the day I wanted to master what I do best. You can't really work on your defensive abilities in workouts. When I sat down with (skills coach) Drew Hanlen, who is by far one of the best in the business, we wrote down ultimately about seven to 10 things that we wanted to work on. The top three we prioritized were shooting, low-post and mid-post moves. In general, footwork and touch kind of comes with that. This is my 11th week in pre-draft — I started early — and I'm happy with the progress I've made.
Q. Is shooting No. 1 because you can't be an offensive force in this league without it?
A. Shooting was definitely one of them. The way I attacked changing the form of my jump shot, it was big for me. It was monumental. It took a level of vulnerability, but I kind of put away my pride and that will pay dividends between me being a good shooter or a capable shooter and a great shooter.
Q. You've been compared to Rudy Gobert. Have you watched him much?
A. Absolutely, as far as my defensive instincts and my length and being able to switch. I can use his defensive (blueprint) and just build from it.
Q. When you left here today what was the biggest impression you wanted to make as far as your skill set?
A. Nothing as far as skill set. They've got a pretty good idea of who I am as a player. Obviously, I've made tremendous strides in pre-draft. But one thing I wanted them to see was my mindset out there and I think they got a pretty good hint of that.
Q. There's a big focus on your wingspan and defense. Is there anything you are doing with your offense?
A. Absolutely. I want to utilize my length both on offense and defense is huge for me. Being able to take one dribble from half court and getting to a layup it really sets you out to be different.
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