AstarIsBorn31
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A Glimpse Into Basketball’s Future at the FIBA Americas U18 Tournament — The Ringer
A Glimpse Into Basketball’s Future at the FIBA Americas U18 Tournament
Mohamed Bamba: Bamba is a preposterous athlete who might have been constructed in a basketball laboratory. With a 7-foot-9 wingspan, it’s like he’s playing with two tree trimmers attached to his torso. Physically, it’s hard to avoid Rudy Gobert comparisons, but he reminds me more of Clint Capela in terms of the way he moves and slides his body through traffic. Everything about his offensive game is raw, but his ability to shoot free throws (73.3 percent in Chile) is encouraging. Bamba isn’t nearly as far along as Allen (he still has one more season in high school despite being only a month younger) but his upside is as vast as his wingspan.
Hamidou Diallo: Diallo appeared to be the best athlete on Team USA. A 6-foot-5 wing from the class of 2017, Diallo made his presence felt by being everywhere on the court — he was gliding on the floor at extreme speeds. Opponents have found it almost impossible to get around him when he gets down in a defensive stance, though he does tend to jump at fakes, and doesn’t always put himself in the best position to recover. He was a monster on the boards all tournament long, and he came up huge in the championship game with 14 points and six rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. The jumper still needs a lot of work, but hopefully that comes over the next few seasons.
A Glimpse Into Basketball’s Future at the FIBA Americas U18 Tournament
Mohamed Bamba: Bamba is a preposterous athlete who might have been constructed in a basketball laboratory. With a 7-foot-9 wingspan, it’s like he’s playing with two tree trimmers attached to his torso. Physically, it’s hard to avoid Rudy Gobert comparisons, but he reminds me more of Clint Capela in terms of the way he moves and slides his body through traffic. Everything about his offensive game is raw, but his ability to shoot free throws (73.3 percent in Chile) is encouraging. Bamba isn’t nearly as far along as Allen (he still has one more season in high school despite being only a month younger) but his upside is as vast as his wingspan.
Hamidou Diallo: Diallo appeared to be the best athlete on Team USA. A 6-foot-5 wing from the class of 2017, Diallo made his presence felt by being everywhere on the court — he was gliding on the floor at extreme speeds. Opponents have found it almost impossible to get around him when he gets down in a defensive stance, though he does tend to jump at fakes, and doesn’t always put himself in the best position to recover. He was a monster on the boards all tournament long, and he came up huge in the championship game with 14 points and six rebounds, including three on the offensive glass. The jumper still needs a lot of work, but hopefully that comes over the next few seasons.
