Name: Sekou Doumbouya
Height: 6’9″
Weight: 210 pounds
Wingspan: 6’11”
Position: Forward
School: Limoges CSP (France)
Class: N/A
STATISTICS (Per 36 minutes)
13.9 points (47.4/28.9/75.8), 6.2 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.0 blocks.
STRENGTHS
Doumbouya is one of the most hyped French prospects in years which says a lot considering the likes of Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier have recently come over from there. Much of that is due to Doumbouya’s physical profile which is ideal for the modern-day NBA forward.
He has gotten into excellent shape, shedding the extra weight that held him back and has the potential to guard 1-4 when he is locked in thanks to his combination of length, strength, and quickness. He has the frame to add some weight in the right way in order to bang with larger players as well. An overall gifted athlete, Doumbouya flies down the court and can finish above the rim while also chasing down blocks on the defensive end.
Offensively, Doumbouya is far from a finished product but has shown flashes of an inside and out game. His shooting mechanics look solid when he’s focused on them, has shown the ability to attack off the dribble, and has some solid post moves to boot. His footwork looks impressive for someone of his size and if the rest of his skill can catch up, he could prevent a ton of matchup problems.
WEAKNESSES
Doumbouya is a project to say the least and he still struggles with a lot of the basics. His dribbling is still very basic and he can lose the ball on drives when trying to do too much. He lacks an overall feel for the game and his decision-making is lackluster because of it as he often misses open teammates.
Though he has a solid shooting touch, he is far too inconsistent with his mechanics be it getting his feet properly set or having a proper follow through. This makes it even more frustrating when he chooses to settle for jumpers despite his subpar percentages.
Though Doumbouya has all of the tools to wreak havoc defensively, he too often lacks effort and focus. He can rely too much on his athleticism and completely disregard proper defensive basics simply because of laziness. He too often takes breaks on that end and questions about his conditioning have emerged because of it.
FIT WITH LAKERS
When it comes to the current timeline, Doumbouya isn’t necessarily a fit. His tools are undoubtedly intriguing but he needs some work before he will be able to contribute consistently at the NBA level.
What Doumbouya would bring to the Lakers is a versatile forward who can defend multiple positions and give the team energy and effort when at his best. Considering new head coach Frank Vogel is all about defense, someone like Doumbouya could appeal to him.
The question is whether the rest of his game will develop. If Doumbouya can put in the work to improve his shooting and ball-handling, he has the natural athleticism and footwork to become an excellent two-way player. He is one of the biggest risk-reward prospects in the 2019 NBA Draft and the Lakers taking him would be a major swing for the fences, but one that could pay off in the end.
