It happens with some regularity that some physical profiles quickly conquer the hearts of fans before they arrive at the NBA. Whether because of their size or their dimensions, these young people earn the nickname of promises or diamonds in the rough for what they could offer if everything went well. Some of these end up being confirmed as failures, being chosen in relevant positions in the Draft, and others take a few years to flourish. Could this be the case for Bol Bol?
The son of the legendary Manute Bol arrived with more expectations than reality. Without a doubt, the Sudanese was a singular figure like no other: 2.18 meters tall (7-2 feet), 2.34 wingspan (7-5 feet) and the movement speed of a small forward. In fact, his only course in the NCAA invited us to think that he could become a sensation thanks to his 21 average points in Oregon.
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And hype excessive that prevented many from seeing the real problem: his physique was not prepared for professionalism. The injuries They have been Bol Bol’s main companion since the 2019 Draft, and he could barely play 61 games in four seasons. A circumstance that came to question his future in the NBA, more so after the transfer that led him to Orlando Magic in 2022. It has not been until the start of the 2022-2023 season when the African interior seems to be confirming that it can be, at least, a usable player for a growing team.
Bol’s start has been sensational. So much so that it has earned the honor of being titular due to the loss of Cole Anthony in the last three games:
- vs. Hornets: 11 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block and 66.7% accuracy
- vs. Mavs: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 3 blocks and 70% accuracy
- vs. Thunder: 13 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks and 66.7% accuracy
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In 8 games (13% of his career total) the Orlando Magic player has been averaging 11.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks with 65.5% accuracy in field goals. A sensational balance that has made him beat Mo Bamba in the rotation, a teammate who renewed this past offseason for two seasons and 20.6M.
His scoring contribution has been fundamentally based on executing or adding after offensive rebound, but Bol Bol has left actions to take his hat off:
Meanwhile, in defense his impact as capper makes him the third highest average in this course, only behind Myles Turner (3,7) y Brook Lopez (3,0).
And it is that Bol Bol makes the most of its spectacular sizebut also how fast it moves sideways, being able to pair with much smaller handlers.
This explains why he had three different games with 4 blocks, the last against Oklahoma City Thunder:
How long Bol Bol’s relative explosion will last is a mystery, almost as much as whether its impact will be real or the excitement of its first matches.
The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the NBA or its organizations.
