
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
The Detroit Pistons could have the inside track on the first international player taken in this draft. Unlike recent classes, foreign-born players have scattered throughout the lottery, but this just misses the first 14 picks.
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.
The Pistons can use frontcourt depth to help Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond, both of whom remain under contract next season. Injuries followed Griffin into the postseason, and having insurance for future ailments makes sense.
However, Doumbouya could take a few years to develop. The frame is there and he is athletic enough to match up with opposing players, but the offensive game is raw and as long as that’s the case, his playing time may be minimal at most.
Doumbouya is a raw prospect from France like Frank Ntilikina in 2017 for the New York Knicks. Different positions and potentially a higher upside from the former.