3 players who will receive an elevated role for the Detroit Pistons in 2020

Sekou Doumbouya

The first real stint of basketball that Sekou Doumbouya played in the NBA was borderline exceptional given the circumstances.

In his first 8 games as a starter he averaged 14.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game on 54.4 percent shooting (41.4 percent from three-point range). He capped it off with a 24 point performance in a win over the Boston Celtics.

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After that however, his season went off the rails and was never able to find the success that he found over that two week span.

His perimeter shot was always off, his ability to get to the rim wasn’t as seamless, and even if he did get to the basket, he was often met at the rim and would have his shot blocked.

As we move towards his second season, fans should expect that he could spend a majority of the season with Detroit assuming his game improves. If not, sending him down to the G-League isn’t the death sentence that people too often assume it is.

He could very well be asked to play solid minutes within the Pistons second unit alongside Bruce Brown (or Kennard) and Thon Maker.

His defensive potential and his ability to move with ease in transition should make him a bigger threat than what he was this season. Detroit will also likely feel more comfortable allowing him to make a play with the ball instead of sending him off to the corner if he’s able to improve his shooting.