In case you haven't been paying attention, the Orlando Magic appear to have found a unicorn in Bol Bol.
The son of former NBA big man Manute Bol is playing like a point guard in a (very) oversized center's body. At 7-foot-2, he's been doing things that 7-foot-2 humans shouldn't be able to do, like this:
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And this:
And all of this:
The 23-year-old is enjoying a breakout fourth season, averaging 12.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.8 blocks as a starter for the Magic. And he'll face the team that let him go Friday night in Boston.
In case you forgot, Bol was briefly a member of the Celtics, and played a small but notable role in their evolution into a championship contender. Here's a recap of Bol's Celtics tenure:
- Jan. 19, 2022: Celtics acquire Bol Bol and P.J. Dozier from the Nuggets and send Juancho Hernangomez to the San Antonio Spurs as part of a three-team trade that sends Bryn Forbes to Denver.
- Feb. 10, 2022: Celtics send Bol, Dozier, a future second-round draft pick and cash to the Magic for Orlando's future-second round pick.
Why did Boston essentially dump Bol on Orlando after less than a month? For starters, Bol was injured at the time and had struggled to stay healthy throughout his young NBA career, playing in just 53 games total over his first three seasons. While Bol had tantalizing upside, the injury risk was simply too high for a team like Boston -- which had other plans in the making.
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Feb. 10 was the date of the 2022 NBA trade deadline, and those two deals involving Bol helped the Celtics free up cap space to get under the luxury tax. That same day, Brad Stevens leveraged his financial flexibility to trade for Spurs guard Derrick White, who has become an integral part of Boston's core.
The Celtics' roster when they acquired Bol included Dennis Schroder, Josh Richardson, Enes Freedom, Romeo Langford and Aaron Nesmith, among others. Stevens had a larger vision for his roster, and Bol essentially was a trade piece who helped him realize that vision, which produced the NBA's best team of the 2022 calendar year.
So, Celtics fans can feel a tinge of lament if Bol makes a highlight-reel play Friday night at TD Garden. But there's certainly no second-guessing what Stevens has built in Boston -- with a small assist from the 7-foot-2 unicorn.