Sekou Doumbouya ('19)

[Nazrmohamed]

His physical traits are amazing but his game ain't there yet, which is normal, I think he will shoot in time but I don't think he is a guy that will be featured on ball, he feels like ideally a face-up 4 that will be able to dominate the boards, slide to the 5 in smallball lineups and be a terror around the rim, both blocking shots and finishing, but not much play-making.

I think it's hard to project him unless you know how much he is going to add to his game really, I can't learn much watching him against his peers cause he is so much better physically.

He is more agile than I remember him, light on his feet, hard to compare him to a current pro really

Josh Smith, Darius Miles? Or at least in terms of gait, fluidity and athleticism? Think he's more offensively inclined than defensive though.

[Stillwater]

His physical traits are amazing but his game ain't there yet, which is normal, I think he will shoot in time but I don't think he is a guy that will be featured on ball, he feels like ideally a face-up 4 that will be able to dominate the boards, slide to the 5 in smallball lineups and be a terror around the rim, both blocking shots and finishing, but not much play-making.

I think it's hard to project him unless you know how much he is going to add to his game really, I can't learn much watching him against his peers cause he is so much better physically.

He is more agile than I remember him, light on his feet, hard to compare him to a current pro really

Josh Smith, Darius Miles? Or at least in terms of gait, fluidity and athleticism? Think he's more offensively inclined than defensive though.

He's a raw high level athlete and pretty much a bigger version of Christian Eyenga when he entered the league. Being longer might make the difference along with getting drafted by a team that is good at development which CLE wasn't when they took Eyenga at 30

[UcanUwill]

Not really high on him. He is most likely a good athlete, but I wouldn't put him anywhere close to Giannis or Luka on overall skill. Have to wait to see him in the combine to know if he is a lottery pick or fall off.

He's the wildcard gambling GM's love.
I mean ATL could easily justify picking him at 9 after getting a higher floor wing at 5.
He looks like he will impact the game in several ways even as a raw late bloomer. If his work ethic and Sponge like approach to getting better continue,look out.
I'd gamble on him around 6-15 range given the ceiling could be elite even though the odds are he never reaches it.

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

[clyde21]

yea, picking an 18-year-old who's 6'9, 240 lbs and a good run-jump athlete, who can defend, pass and score on all 3 levels is definitely a wasted pick.

[Stillwater]

Not really high on him. He is most likely a good athlete, but I wouldn't put him anywhere close to Giannis or Luka on overall skill. Have to wait to see him in the combine to know if he is a lottery pick or fall off.

He's the wildcard gambling GM's love.
I mean ATL could easily justify picking him at 9 after getting a higher floor wing at 5.
He looks like he will impact the game in several ways even as a raw late bloomer. If his work ethic and Sponge like approach to getting better continue,look out.
I'd gamble on him around 6-15 range given the ceiling could be elite even though the odds are he never reaches it.

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

Maybe, but the ceiling is higher than most that will be there at 6 even though the floor is very low in comparison to 20 players that would be available there.
Somebody will gamble on him if they want a shot at more long term than a rotation player at some point in the lottery probably

[UcanUwill]

He's the wildcard gambling GM's love.
I mean ATL could easily justify picking him at 9 after getting a higher floor wing at 5.
He looks like he will impact the game in several ways even as a raw late bloomer. If his work ethic and Sponge like approach to getting better continue,look out.
I'd gamble on him around 6-15 range given the ceiling could be elite even though the odds are he never reaches it.

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

Maybe, but the ceiling is higher than most that will be there at 6 even though the floor is very low in comparison to 20 players that would be available there.
Somebody will gamble on him if they want a shot at more long term than a rotation player at some point in the lottery probably

I dont see high ceiling with him at all.

[Stillwater]

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

Maybe, but the ceiling is higher than most that will be there at 6 even though the floor is very low in comparison to 20 players that would be available there.
Somebody will gamble on him if they want a shot at more long term than a rotation player at some point in the lottery probably

I dont see high ceiling with him at all.

some see another sleeper like Siakim , others see another Eyenga that gets drafted and forgotten because he wasn't developed.
I think he'll be somewhere in between and should be at least worth a late lottery pick if nobody else on the board has the same upside as a Siakim type.

[clyde21]

what's with the Siakam comp? i don't get it.

Sekou's a much more functional shooter and scorer really especially if you comp them at the same stage. Siakam is actually finally starting to become a decent threat as a shooter, but he's not really that natural at it and needs a lot of manufactured space to really be able to put shots up especially at a distance.

hard to find a comp for him at this point but ill keep thinking about it

[Killboard]

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

Maybe, but the ceiling is higher than most that will be there at 6 even though the floor is very low in comparison to 20 players that would be available there.
Somebody will gamble on him if they want a shot at more long term than a rotation player at some point in the lottery probably

I dont see high ceiling with him at all.

Agreed. Some people call potential to good physical tools. I prefer call potential to guys with an uncommon skillset for certain physical profile. But to be considered in lottery potential must come along with a solid floor to begin with. To me "potential" and "flyer" are two different categories. Im against to take a flyer (or if he follows an outlier trend of development) in the lotto.

[Stillwater]

what's with the Siakam comp? i don't get it.

Sekou's a much more functional shooter and scorer really especially if you comp them at the same stage. Siakam is actually finally starting to become a decent threat as a shooter, but he's not really that natural at it and needs a lot of manufactured space to really be able to put shots up especially at a distance.

hard to find a comp for him at this point but ill keep thinking about it

Not sure,but overall to me it's a level of impact ceiling due to athletic ability and size comparison not a style of play or current skill set from where he is now which is similar to a low expectations associated with siakim early in his career.
Sekou is a huge boom or bust pick and he could develop into a solid role player maybe even have a higher impact like a siakim ,but could just as easily be another Christian Eyenga

[Illmatic12]

Anyone got more clips or footage? I haven't seen nearly enough of Doumbaya's offense to get a definitive feel for his upside as a halfcourt player. My general sense is that he can be a good spot up shooter and a straight line slasher, but without the shake/wiggle to consistently create or iso from the perimeter. Players in that oversized slasher mold who have had NBA success include Josh Smith, Luol Deng (Deng to his credit had better footwork and polish at Duke, but he was also 1yr older than Sekou I believe).


This is one full game that a Wiz poster found. Doumbaya is #45, comes off the bench at around the 16min mark (@19min is a good example of his ballhandling speed in transition):

Watch on YouTube

Man, the way he moves defensively and his overall reflexes/quickness for a player that size are IMPRESSIVE. Sort of like Cam Reddish but much more of a live body. Kid is ~6'10 and his coach is having him lock+trail technique to chase shooters around multiple screens. Needs to work on maintaining a low stance but he can definitely get out and stay in front of ballhandlers. His team sort of treats him as an afterthought on offense, which isn't surprising given that he's a shy 18yo playing with grizzled pros. But you feel like he is capable of developing a lot more fluid skill moves than what he's showing (or is allowed to show) .

Imo Doumbaya from day 1 could be high PPP in transition and as a cutter, and I believe his spot up shooting will be a strength. What he will need to be a legit offensive contributor is a consistent PnP short jumper/floater package, and adding a simple left block post up->spin middle vs smaller defenders. Basically your rudimentary Serge Ibaka-type halfcourt offense would get him to ~12-14ppg pretty easily. Anything beyond that depends on how skilled he is as a finisher + off-dribble shooting which I couldn't get a read on.

[No-Man]

The Wizards should totally draft Sekou if they can't trade down

[pcbothwel]

The Wizards should totally draft Sekou if they can't trade down

Very intruiging, but I cant see how you take him over Garland or Bol...or even Hunter & Clarke

[MotownMadness]

The Wizards should totally draft Sekou if they can't trade down

Very intruiging, but I cant see how you take him over Garland or Bol...or even Hunter & Clarke

Hayes might not be a bad option there as well

[MotownMadness]

I get scared with these guys. I remember watching Ntlikina and thinking he looked great.

[pcbothwel]

The Wizards should totally draft Sekou if they can't trade down

Very intruiging, but I cant see how you take him over Garland or Bol...or even Hunter & Clarke

Hayes might not be a bad option there as well

No chance... I really like Hayes, but you cant take a non-franchise center in the top 10 anymore. Hayes has alarmingly low rebounding and steals numbers. Again, I wouldnt hesitate to take him at 12-15... but not at 6/7.

[Coeur]

He's the wildcard gambling GM's love.
I mean ATL could easily justify picking him at 9 after getting a higher floor wing at 5.
He looks like he will impact the game in several ways even as a raw late bloomer. If his work ethic and Sponge like approach to getting better continue,look out.
I'd gamble on him around 6-15 range given the ceiling could be elite even though the odds are he never reaches it.

wouldnt touch him with loterry pick, picking him 6th is just wasting a tank year.

Maybe, but the ceiling is higher than most that will be there at 6 even though the floor is very low in comparison to 20 players that would be available there.
Somebody will gamble on him if they want a shot at more long term than a rotation player at some point in the lottery probably

Yeah I think picks 4-8 or so might be different than most are expecting. Everyone seems pretty comfortable w the first 3.


It really will come down to higher ceilings at this point. After the top 3 it’s not going to be the easier safe picks like Coby white or hunter. I think teams have to look to the Bolbol, Doumbouya, KZ okpala, high ceiling types

[Illmatic12]

Very intruiging, but I cant see how you take him over Garland or Bol...or even Hunter & Clarke

Hayes might not be a bad option there as well

No chance... I really like Hayes, but you cant take a non-franchise center in the top 10 anymore. Hayes has alarmingly low rebounding and steals numbers. Again, I wouldnt hesitate to take him at 12-15... but not at 6/7.

That's how I feel about Brandon Clarke . Can't take an undersized non-shooting PF that high either.. I'm just not sure where you play him or how many minutes he can play in a postseason series with his lack of floor-spacing. Middling upside rotation player isn't what I'd want that high in the draft

[The-Power]

That's how I feel about Brandon Clarke . Can't take an undersized non-shooting PF that high either.. I'm just not sure where you play him or how many minutes he can play in a postseason series with his lack of floor-spacing. Middling upside rotation player isn't what I'd want that high in the draft

Not saying they are going to be similar, but that statement could be about Draymond Green and we know how valuable he is. I could see Clarke following Millsap's footsteps in terms of shooting as he can already knock down the occasional jump shot. And Clarke clearly worked successfully on his free-throw shooting, so that is an encouraging sign. That said, of course thinking about taking him this early in the draft creates a somewhat uneasy feeling – I get that.

[pcbothwel]

Hayes might not be a bad option there as well

No chance... I really like Hayes, but you cant take a non-franchise center in the top 10 anymore. Hayes has alarmingly low rebounding and steals numbers. Again, I wouldnt hesitate to take him at 12-15... but not at 6/7.

That's how I feel about Brandon Clarke . Can't take an undersized non-shooting PF that high either.. I'm just not sure where you play him or how many minutes he can play in a postseason series with his lack of floor-spacing. Middling upside rotation player isn't what I'd want that high in the draft

Clarke is a "Whole greater than the sum of parts" sorta player. As in, his ability to switch and guard 2-5, rebound, block shots, play with pace and get easy buckets allows your other players to mask deficiencies.

He steps in to the league and does everything at a high level.
Day 1 he is Kenneth Faried with better defense. So thats a per36 of 16 & 10 on a TS of 58% and good defense... And thats his Floor

Think about this for a second. Faried and Millsap averaged more rebounds against inferior competition at Morehead state and LA Tech.
But Clarke averaged more than DOUBLE the assist, double the blocks, with less turnovers and fouls. He did so while being a far more efficient scorer and shooting better from the FT line.

Seriously... take Paul Millsap and give him Farieds athleticism, and then you have Clarke. Do you comprehend how valuable that player is? A better version of Aaron Gordon.
Thats a top 3 PF that can guard 4 positions. Sooo... Draymond.
As a Wiz fan, you and I are both well aware of how much Millsap killed us for 3-4 years

Would you pick a 22 y/o Millsap with the 6-8th pick in the draft? I sure as hell would.