Detroit Pistons 4 top prospects with the Grand Rapids Drive

3. The French Prince of Belle Isle

The man you’ve all been waiting for. The French Revolution. Dr. Doum.

Sekou Doumbouya‘s performances this season in the G League have made a less than positive Pistons season, feel like there is actually a great hope around the corner. At the age of, get ready, 18 years old, Sekou is showing exactly why the Pistons took the risk of drafting him with the 15th overall pick.

Offensively, Sekou has looked better than I would have ever thought an 18-year-old could look playing professional basketball. He can handle the ball very well for a guy 6-9. Finishing at the rim hasn’t been an issue and he can finish exceptionally with his off-hand. He has the ability to draw fouls on his drives due to defenders not being able to match his length.

The 3-point shot is something he’s really surprised me with though. He’s shooting 39% from three on 5.4 attempts a game. Whether catch-and-shoot or off-the-dribble, Sekou’s shot has been so fluid and it’s fantastic to see, especially this early in his career.

To be honest, Sekou is not there defensively. This is the biggest reason you don’t see him getting minutes with the Pistons. He’s often lost on defense and hasn’t quite grasped when to switch and when not to switch, and how to guard pick-and-rolls etc. One-on-one, though, he has moved his feet well and has accumulated a good amount of blocks when he was the primary defender.

He has shown the ability to be able to switch and guard essentially every position on the floor, which is something you don’t see from just any player. The sky is the limit for Sekou on both ends of the floor. If he puts some more weight on and watches a ton of film, his defense could go to an elite level that the Pistons have not had from a wing since the likes of Tayshaun Prince.

The easiest comparison is Pascal Siakam. They both stand 6-9, similar wingspans, similar play styles, and Sekou also really looks up to Siakam. Rather than playing with brute force and aggression, Sekou plays with a lot of touch and finesse, similar to that of Siakam.

Sekou started playing basketball five or six years ago, similar to Siakam when he got drafted. Siakam also spent the majority of his first year in the G League. The parallels are there, it’s just up to Sekou whether or not he wants to put in the work that Pascal has put in to become the superstar he is now. If Sekou does put that work in though, Detroit, you got a diamond in the rough.