Mo Bamba contracted coronavirus, fell out of shape, recovered, joined the Magic in the bubble then struggled to contribute on the court.
Now, he’s departing the bubble for good.
Magic:
MEDICAL UPDATE ON MO BAMBA: pic.twitter.com/dhWlCR1vJF
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) August 14, 2020
The Magic are huge underdogs in their first-round series against the Bucks. This doesn’t really change the equation. Bamba had already fallen from the rotation, which is now comprised of Nikola Vucevic and Khem Birch at center.
But it raises thorny long-term questions.
Bamba was the No. 6 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Though he has underwhelmed so far, the Magic were still hoping he’d grow into a quality NBA player. Bamba at least improved from his rookie season.
His progress has obviously been halted. For how long? Will he face lasting effects?
Everyone is trying to get to the bottom of these difficult questions.