NBA Draft 2019: 5 Biggest steals of the draft
The 2019 NBA Draft finally took place at Barclays Center this past Thursday in Brooklyn. There were a total of 2 rounds, with 30 players being drafted in each round. The picks were decided in the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago in May, with the New Orleans Pelicans getting the #1 pick.
The 2019 NBA Draft was one of the more exciting drafts in recent memory as there were a huge number of trades that took place between various teams. With the draft now in the rearview mirror, there will be players that will be classified as busts and then there will be players who will go on and become headliners of this 2019 draft class.
Without waiting for the season to decide for us, let's take a look at the 5 biggest players that can be considered as the steals of the draft based off just their mock draft positions and where they actually ended up going in the draft.
#5 Sekou Doumbouya (Limoges CSP, France) - Detroit Pistons, 15th overall
Sekou Doumbouya, at 18, is the youngest player in the 2019 NBA Draft and was projected to be a top 10 pick. He played for Limoges CSP in LNB Pro A in France and is primarily a small forward, but his size and length (6 foot 9 inches with a 6 foot 11 inches wingspan) allows him to slide down to the power forward spot as well.
His fluid athleticism and potential to develop into a really solid player is the reason why the Detroit Pistons drafted him at #15. His theoretical defensive versatility and raw offensive potential can make him a nightmare for any opposition.
Age is also on Doumbouya's side and he will manage to create mismatches all the time at the NBA level. He has some great shooting mechanics and has been compared to Draymond Green. In his 29 appearances for Limoges, Doumbouya averaged 6.7 points, 3 rebounds and shot 32.2% from the 3.
While his potential is really high, his inexperience works against him too as he is prone to silly mistakes and poor decision making. He takes a lot of mid-range shots even when he has the tools to force his way to the rim.
While he has a great shooting mechanism, he is very inconsistent with his shot and has proven to make poor shot selection. The positives still outweigh the negatives as these can always be improved upon but the Pistons have potentially gotten a steal with the #15 pick of Sekou Doumbouya and will hope he grows into the mismatch nightmare he has the potential to become.