Detroit Pistons: Sekou Doumbouya’s development is crucial

The development of second-year forward Sekou Doumbouya is vital for the Detroit Pistons.

Sekou Doumbouya has become a slightly forgotten man in the Detroit Pistons‘ locker room after the super active offseason. This should not be the case. Doumbouya is still incredibly young; he was the youngest player in the league last year and is only 7 months older than Killian Hayes.

Also, outside of Hayes, he probably has the highest ceiling of any young player on the team. His development this season should be at the top of the Pistons’ list and something to watch for this year.

Doumbouya had some flashes in his rookie season but battled with inconsistency due to his young age and limited basketball experience. Some of his flashes were a 16 point, 10 rebound game against Golden State and a 24 point game in a win against the Celtics.

In those games, he showed his offensive potential. He was able to shoot the ball well from distance, finish contested shots at the rim, and get out in transition. Those games should provide the blueprint for what Doumbouya can be in the league.

Unfortunately, the majority of the season for Doumbouya was much more inconsistent than those games. Overall, he struggled to shoot threes and finish at the rim leading to a 39% FG percentage and only 29% from three.

There is definite hope for his three-point shot as he was able to shoot 35% from three in the G League. The key for Doumbouya’s shooting splits will be game reps and continuing to build up his confidence. If he can do this, he could start to be a positive on the offensive end.