Mohamed Bamba's pre-NBA Draft workout with the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, sources tell DBcom, was largely about "confirmation.''
The Mavs, holding the No. 5 overall pick, knew that the intelligent and charismatic University of Texas center would interview well -- and he did. That may be his top trait ... that the team that selects the 7-1 freshman will be getting a person of quality.
But in two areas, maybe "confirmation'' was exceeded, we're told.
"He shot the lights out,'' one source who was in the gym told us. "He shot it well.''
Bamba has repeated told teams and the media in interviews that he's worked to improve his perimeter shot.
"It looks really smooth,'' he recently said.
Dallas saw it that way, too, maybe curbing some questions about whether he can be the modern "Hybrid-5'' who can do more than just play at the rim. Ideally, Bamba -- often compared to Utah standout Rudy Gobert -- could be a threat worth guarding on offense and a defender who can move his feet against smaller attackers.
The other area where he may have jumped up and over expectations?
"He's more athletic that you might first assume,'' a Mavs staffer tells us.
In a recent workout, Bamba reportedly ran a three-quarters court sprint in 3.04 seconds. That would put him in the same class with some of the fastest guards in the NBA. ... including, we assume, Dallas' own Dennis Smith Jr. In Dallas, he apparently put on a similar display for a group of Mavs bosses led by GM Donnie Nelson, coach Rick Carlisle, executive Michael Finley, trainer Casey Smith and what we believe to be the entire Mavs scouting staff.
The session was conducted across the street from the AAC at the Mavs' expansive practice facility. We're told that will be the norm for the other pre-Draft visitors who work out here for the Mavs, a list that includes
Duke center Wendell Carter Jr. (slated for Wednesday) and a
host of others (list here.)
The general impression here? The Phoenix Suns will pick Deandre Ayton at No. 1. The Mavs have high opinions on at least five other players, including Luka Doncic and, if healthy, including
Michael Porter Jr. "Extremely impressed,'' was the word from the Mavs after attending Porter's private workout in Chicago. (See that scoop here.)
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And Mohamed Bamba remains in that "worthy-of-the-fifth-pick'' group, with work to be done by the Mavs and other teams picking high on evaluating his "motor'' (a common question regarding 7-1 kids, really, and one he's labeled "a misconception'') and his ability to bulk up (he's still skinny at
234 per his Suns workout, but that's about 30 pounds heavier than he was during part of high school) and even work to be done on
other teams that might want to trade to spot No. 5 to get him.
Summarized one Mavs staffer of Bamba: "He shot well, he's athletic and he's smart. Good building blocks.''
