Mohamed Bamba has made it clear that he has his preferences ahead of tomorrow’s NBA Draft. He is going out of his way to make it known that he does not want Memphis to be his home.
According to reports, Bamba refuses to hold a workout for the Grizzlies, or provide them with any of his medical records. Memphis currently holds the 4th pick in the draft and were considering Bamba with the selection, but the center has informed the team that he does not want to be selected by them.
The big-man is projected to fall in the 3-6 range, and Memphis is in desperate need of young talent so Bamba’s request may very well be ignored. If the Grizzlies front office believes he is the best player available, they may take Bamba anyway, regardless of his wishes.
Mo Bamba is one of the more intriguing prospects in this years draft class. His frame is what makes him so attractive to NBA scouts. At 7′ 1″ with a 7’10” wingspan, Bamba has a tremendous ability to protect the rim. His shot blocking ability certainly showed on the stat sheet; he averaged 3.7 blocks per game—second in D1 basketball. He also averaged an impressive 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds in his sole season with the University of Texas at Austin, earning him a Second Team All-Big 12 selection.
In addition to his length, he also has extraordinary speed, running a 3/4 court sprint in 3.04 seconds during a private workout with the Chicago Bulls. That number is higher than some of the fastest guards in the league, including Russell Westbrook (3.08), John Wall (3.14), and Kemba Walker (3.16).
He has drawn comparisons to former top pick Hasheem Thabeet who shares a similar body type and play style. But, unlike Thabeet, Bamba is widely expected to be a star in the NBA.
Featured Image Via Flickr/LSI Graphics
