Detroit Pistons: G-League or Bench, what is best for Sekou Doumbouya?

Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya should start on the bench

The argument for keeping him as a bench player on the Detroit Pistons is that the Pistons need to know what they have in this guy and the only way to find out is to see him play against the best.

Defense is practically non-existent in the G-League, so Doumbouya would probably rack up big numbers, which might be good for his confidence, but doesn’t really give the Detroit Pistons an accurate read on whether he can play in the NBA.

Also, if Doumbouya can’t beat out Tyler Cook for minutes, it might be time to move on. Sekou is the last remaining player from the previous era, and Troy Weaver doesn’t have the kind of attachment he might have if he had drafted Doumbouya himself.

We know Weaver isn’t afraid to pull the trigger on moves, so throwing Doumbouya into the mix to see what he can do is the only way to know if he is a long-term project or a guy the Pistons should trade.

If Doumbouya improves over the offseason, he could easily be the first forward off the bench for the Pistons, which would be huge, as it would be another guy they could consider part of the the young core with Saddiq Bey, Isaiah Stewart and Cade Cunningham (assuming the Pistons draft him).

I think there are solid arguments for either option, but ultimately, I’d like to see Sekou Doumbouya get a shot to earn minutes off the Pistons’ bench and not running around the G-League.

It will be better for his development and will also give the Detroit Pistons a better understanding of his future with the team.