Detroit Pistons: Offseason moves mean Doumbouya’s days are numbered
Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya’s time with Detroit could end soon
The Detroit Pistons drafted the now 20-year-old power forward Sekou Doumbouya as the 15th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The 6-8 forward was drafted as a raw prospect who needed time to develop. Two seasons later, and Doumbouya’s development has not been that substantial.
From year one to year two, Doumbouya has seen a reduction in minutes per game and, consequentially, a reduction in box score numbers. The 20-year-old has also regressed in his scoring efficiency as well. Doumbouya has seen his field goal percentage reduced by 1.1 percent. The forward’s three-point shooting also went down by six percent, which is really not good in the modern NBA.
However, Doumbouya has shown some flashes of potential. A prime example is a late-season matchup with the Charlotte Hornets. Doumbouya shot 60-percent from the field, while knocking down two of his five attempts from beyond the arc. The superb scoring efficiency resulted in a 20 point game for Doumbouya.
Performances like that have been scattered throughout the 20-year-old’s young career, but inconsistency has plagued the young forward as well. After two seasons with the team, Doumbouya has not been able to carve himself a role with Detroit. If you can not find playing time on a team that has had one of the worst records in the NBA, that is not a good sign.
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The forward’s inconsistency is the most glaring reason. A devastating factor in the Frenchman’s development was the fact the Pistons had no G-League team this past year. Due to the pandemic, the Grand Rapids Drive did field a team. As a rookie, Doumbouya was able to go there and gets lots of badly needed playing experience.
The additions of Lyles, Olynyk, and Livers to Detroit’s roster are going to make it even harder for Doumbouya to find minutes with the team.
With his inconsistency and lack of proven growth, Doumbouya will most likely be buried in Detroit’s depth chart next season. It is hard to see him receiving minutes as Jerami Grant‘s backup, when there are three other candidates who provide greater upside.