Magic center Bol Bol is congratulated after dunking and drawing a foul in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Denver Nuggets
When Bol Bol goes on the court for the Orlando Magic, he is nothing short of a sensation for his new team. Bol is currently experiencing a breakout season and is now displaying what sort of havoc he is capable of inflicting on the court when given the chance to shine after spending his first three seasons in the NBA being buried under other players on the Denver Nuggets’ depth chart.
He didn’t play much at all throughout his first two and a half seasons with the Denver Nuggets. He was traded to the Detroit Pistons in the middle of his third season, but they ultimately pulled out of the deal because of concerns about his health. He eventually found himself with the Boston Celtics, where he resumed his recovery; after a month, they swiftly traded him to the Magic.
Forward Michael Porter Jr., a former teammate of Bol’s with the Nuggets, provided his perspective on the former Oregon Ducks star’s troubles to fit in with Denver (via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports).
The Magic are the ideal team to make the most of Bol’s abilities, Porter said. Orlando isn’t currently a title contender in the NBA. Bol is making the most of the Magic’s ability to support rotation experiments. As opposed to the Nuggets, who have Nikola Jokic as their focal point and have a clear roadmap, the Magic are still figuring out their team’s potential and eventual course.
He attributes having the greatest season of his career to finally getting a legitimate opportunity to play for a team. Bol Bol is currently in the running for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award thanks to his 2022–23 season. Given that no other player has made such a significant improvement, it is difficult to picture him not being the front-runner for the award.
He is averaging 12.1 points per game, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots while shooting 59.5 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range so far in this NBA season.