2019 NBA Mock Draft: Full first round as lottery nears

Age: 18
Height, Weight: 6-foot-9, 210 pounds
Slash Line (LNB Pro A): .522/.295/.696
Season Averages: 6.5 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 0.5 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, 0.6 3PM

It took 15 picks, but the Detroit Pistons and this draft’s first international mystery man match, and for a team that can use frontcourt depth to help Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, both of whom remain under contract next season.

Sekou Doumbouya is a 6-foot-9, French forward. His physical attributes, including a seven-foot wingspan, will intrigue NBA teams on the path to the draft, and the athleticism to break out in transition stands out among most prospects in this class. The outside game is not there, and free throws are a question, but running to the basket will push him forward.

Entering the NBA, at least Doumbouya has enough to become a talented defender.

The Pistons can use this versatility next to Griffin or Drummond. Maybe not both, but Doumboya can spell one of them, while he develops offensively, or just becomes an effective role player off the bench.

There is starter potential for Doumbouya, and if he can fulfill it, this could become a player for NBA teams to fear for the next decade. A big “if,” though, since adjustments for international prospects has varied, including the New York Knicks’ Mario Hezonja and Frank Ntilikina. Kristaps and Luka Doncic both fit well, though, and the draft is a “crapshoot,” so Doumbouya has a chance.