Bol finished Tuesday's 116-108 loss to Oklahoma City with 13 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3Pt, 4-4 FT), 12 rebounds, one assist and four blocks over 31 minutes.
Anthony doesn't yet have a timetable to return, and Bol should continue to fill a role in the starting lineup in his absence. Even if Bol returns to the bench at some point, he's displayed solid fantasy value regardless of his starting status. The fourth-year forward drew a third consecutive start with Cole Anthony (oblique) sidelined, and Bol posted his second consecutive double-double in the loss.
If you have ever developed any serious takes about notably shaped basketball prospects, you have doubtlessly had your heart broken when the vast majority of ...
It’s a good time to enjoy some Bol Bol basketball, since the vibes in the NBA are remarkably ghastly at the moment. He put together a nice game in a loss to the Thunder on Tuesday, a loss that featured him sharing the court with fellow notable body-inhabiter Aleksej Pokuševski. He’s easy to root, whether you like reclamation stories or enjoy watching palm tree-sized and shaped guys lead the weirdest fast breaks of all-time. The specter of Robert Sarver hangs over Phoenix like a fart. I can’t remember the first few weeks of a season feeling this horrid. He gets a lot of his work done in transition, which is a real treat to watch. “The game is starting to slow down.” The Magic are not, well, good in any sense, though there is a lot to like about the way they’re put together. The Magic’s backcourt has been obliterated by injuries, so Bol is currently starting alongside both Wagner and Banchero. Three years is a long time for a guy to give you nothing, whether you want to want to win the title or not. I always want to believe that players with unorthodox bodies can make it work at the highest level, because what is the point of caring about a sport if not marveling at the frontiers of physical possibility? If you have ever developed any serious takes about notably shaped basketball prospects, you have doubtlessly had your heart broken when the vast majority of them turn out not to be good enough at basketball to make use of their physical potential.
Bol is starting to make an impact with back-to-back double-doubles and should be firmly on the fantasy radar. Over his last five games, he is averaging 13.6 ...
[Game Recaps](/nba/game-recaps.php) - NBA - NFL [Magic Correspondent](/nba/team-news.php?team=ORL) Over his last five games, he is averaging 13.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 blocks. [Brad Richter](/news/correspondents/brad-richter.php)
Nekias Duncan breaks down, and celebrates, the fun and productivity of Bol Bol with the Orlando Magic.
It's telling that he's among the league leaders in blocks, but opponents have converted nearly 67% of their shots at the rim against Bol to this point of the season. The Magic have a plus-4.6 net rating in Bol's 173 minutes, and have been dusted (minus-13.8) in their 211 minutes without him. The Magic could further explore his usage as a handoff hub if he generates contact better; he already has enough of a handle to fool opponents with fake handoffs. Bol simply doesn't have the strength to deal with 5s. If he isn't directly involved in the action, he's able to sink down to disrupt drives and spray back out to bother (or dissuade) catch-and-shoot opportunities. There's a ton of room to grow as a screener. To the volume portion, a lot of that is because of Bol's limitations. If he shifts from one-track minded to 1.3-track minded, you consider that a win if you're the Magic. Among 77 players that have defended at least 75 shot attempts, Bol's contest rate (92.59) ranks 12th on the list, per Second Spectrum. A guy that tall isn't supposed to have the shooting touch and handle capabilities that he does. The sample isn't large; the good folks at Second Spectrum have him pegged for 17 drives on the season. This has been more than the occasional flash that I freak out about on Twitter; he legitimately looks like a productive rotation player.
It's still early, but Bol should be at or near the front of the Most Improved Player race.
Traded to Detroit, only to fail his physical and be sent back to Denver. The number that looks best for the Magic? You can imagine the impact Bol can make with his good feet and 7-foot-6 wingspan on the defensive end. His small-sample stats don't reflect it yet this season (25 percent from 3), but look at these clips and tell me this isn't a guy who can shoot the ball. Extrapolated out to per 36 minutes, which he might find himself playing before long, Bol Bol would be averaging over 19 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. He's making 86 percent of his shots inside four feet, and 60 percent within the 4-14 foot range, per CTG. For [NBA](/nba/) nerds, however, this Orlando roster, which has managed to win just one of its first seven games, is fast becoming a big talking point. He played just nine games as a freshman at Oregon before a stress fracture in his foot ended his lone collegiate season, but over that short sample he scored 21 points per game and shot 52 percent from 3. [today's supersized NBA,](https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/from-smallball-to-tall-ball-the-nba-is-resizing-again/) you can't lose track of 7-foot-2. They can all put the ball on the floor. Know this: the 22-year-old is shooting up the early short list for Most Improved Player, and at his size, he has skills that will legitimately blow you away. -- listed at 6-foot-10, and a fourth listed at 7-foot-2.