NBA
#15 – Sekou Doumbouya – Detroit Pistons
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
With the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons select forward Sekou Doumbouya from France.
Doumbouya, the latest foreign NBA import, is raw, but his potential is sky-high. With the physical tools to stick it in the NBA, Doumbouya is a versatile piece who could fit in as a power forward or small-ball center. Despite his 230 pound frame, Doumbouya is quick on his feet and with the length he has — 6-foot-9 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan and 8-foot-11 standing reach — he certainly has the potential to guard multiple positions on the floor at the next level.
That said, Doumbouya is raw; his decision making needs some serious work, as does his ball control. He has a nice touch around the basket, but Doumbouya needs to seriously work on his mechanics as well. His footwork is strong, but his defensive instincts are poor, which could seriously limit his upside in the NBA.
The Pistons, luckily, have two great big men in Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond to help him refine those skills. Doumbouya is a project for sure, but, in the right environment, the Pistons could have one of the top talents in this draft class.
