If things stand pat the way they are now in terms of draft position. I see Bamba and Carter being available at 9.
Bamba was born in Harlem as well.
NBA Comparison: Rudy GobertStrengths: A truly elite physical specimen in terms of length, Mohamed Bamba jumps off the page with his 7'9'' wingspan and 9'6'' standing reach ... This kind of size allowed him to immediately burst on to the NCAA scene as an elite rim protector with the measurables to translate this skill to the NBA ... Blocking 3.7 shots per game during his regular season stint at Texas doesn't even take into account the countless shots he altered or drive attempts he thwarted ... Timing is a part of this, as he only averaged 2.4 fouls per contest at the college level ... His lateral quickness is also very good for a player who measures in at 7 feet tall. This makes him a capable pick and roll defender and someone who roam the entire paint area with little effort ... From a rebounding standpoint, his 10.4 boards per game as a freshman is well above average, and despite his narrow frame he held his own pretty well in the paint against stronger opponents ... While Bamba will always be a lean player, he does have wide shoulders and looks to be able to add muscle ... His 3.2 offensive rebounds per contest is also a very good indicator of timing around the rim ... Mo Bamba's offensive game is probably a little further along than you might initially think ... He is a 67.8% free throw shooter, and has a nice high release and good backspin on his shot ... In an era when long, defensive bigs are often poor free throw shooters, Mo appears to have the foundation to be pretty good at the charity stripe ... His jump shot is also showing signs of life as Bamba shot 28% from the college 3 point line, and showed to be capable from the elbow, while showing decent shot selection ... While his jumper and 3 point shot are not exactly calling cards at this point in his development, I'd still call his foundation as a shooter an strength overall ... He's also a decent ball handler for a big man, and has shown some impressive glimpses of his length and athleticism when putting the ball on the deck and driving past and then dunking on defenders ... He plays with fire, and at the college level when he gets good position and is close to the rim he's extremely tough to stop ... Bamba definitely projects as a defender first at the next level, but he has the pieces in place , with continued development, to be a force on offense as well ... An extremely bright individual, if not for basketball, he had Ivy league grades and credentials entering college ...
Weaknesses: As obvious is as length is, it's also not hard to notice he'll need to continue to add strength to play the paint in the next level ... At the 2017 Hoop Summit, he only weighed in at 216 pounds ... Ideally, you'd like to see Bamba at least around 240 in a year or two, or possibly 250 ... I think those weights are achievable for him judging by his length, and how he's added muscle since high school ... His awareness with his back to the basket and in the paint on offense is a work in progress too ... He'll need to continue to work on his awareness of spacing and cutting players, as well as adjusting to double teams and pressure from guards ... When he's feeling it offensively, he could take over a game at the college level, but he could also be too passive when he'd get bothered ... Restraint is good from a team game perspective, but with his physical tools he should have been more aggressive at times while playing for the Longhorns ... A solid athlete, but much of his wow factor is due to length and not explosiveness or leaping ability ...
Overall: Bamba is truly an elite physical talent with a wingspan and standing reach that don't come along often ... He figures to be a capable rebounder and rim protector at the NBA level from day one. This alone gives him one of the highest floors in this draft, with an extremely high ceiling as well ... His defensive potential paired with growth as a player, added girth, and experience could render him one of the best defensive bigs in the game for years to come ... The fact he has a nice looking jumper and is already starting to get good results from the free throw line and in game situations at such a young age can make him an asset in terms of spacing as well ... If he's able to piece together all the areas of his offensive game, he actually has the potential to be a legit offensive NBA player while still being a defense first guy ...
Bamba/KP - Frank would be defensive pillars with 2 way games.
