| Detroit Free Press
Sekou Doumbouya discusses his breakout performance in Detroit Pistons’ exhibition win
Sekou Doumbouya discusses his breakout performance of 23 points in preseason win vs. Knicks, and playing with Killian Hayes, Dec. 13, 2020.
In an offseason that was anything but predictable for the Detroit Pistons, one of the few constants was Sekou Doumbouya’s approach to the offseason.
Doumbouya attacked it hard, coach Dwane Casey and his teammates have said. The 19-year-old was coming off of a rookie season that had peaks coupled withlonger stretches where it was apparent that he wasn’t quite NBA-ready. He has something to prove this season — especially under a new general manager, Troy Weaver, who has already parted ways with several of last season’s young players.
“He’s been working out almost daily since he’s gotten back from France early in the summer and is in excellent condition,” Casey said at the beginning of training camp. “He got his body in good shape. We expect him to take the next step as a second-year guy.”
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It’s only preseason, but Doumbouya showcased some of his improvement during the Pistons’ 99-91 victory against the Knicks on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena. He finished the night with 23 points on 8-for-11 overall shooting (2 of 4 from 3-point range), five rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 18 minutes.
Two things stood out about his performance: The variety of ways he scored and his defense.
Doumbouya was aggressive, but didn’t force his offense. Three of his eight made shots were off of cuts, and two were spot-up 3-point attempts. Cutting might’ve been his most effective skill last season, and he was especially good at it Sunday. He didn’t hesitate to punish New York’s defenders when they took their eyes off of him.
And when he had space on the perimeter, he launched. Doumbouya shot 28.6% from 3 last season (28-for-98), but his jump shot mechanics are fluid and he looked confident from outside.
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Each of the forward’s three made field goals were shots that weren’t in his toolbox last season. His first bucket of the night came in the first quarter — when he caught the ball on the right wing, crossed over Julius Randle and finished over two defenders. Toward the end of the third, Doumbouya stole an entry pass to the post, brought the ball down the length of the floor, dropped it off to Derrick Rose and tipped-in the alley-oop pass. And near the end of the fourth, he posted up Frank Ntilikina and drew a whistle as he finished a hook with his left hand.
Doumbouya’s performance indicated he’s more comfortable with the ball in his hands than he was last season. He found a balance between patience and assertiveness, and it helped him log an efficient stat line.
“That’s what he did last year when he had the two good weeks during the season, he was cutting without the ball, moving without the ball,” Casey said postgame. “That’s what he’s gotta do. Then you mix up his 3-point shooting, which he had tonight, then you have something. He’s a cutter, slasher, floor-runner, spot-up shooter. That’s his game and he did a good job of that tonight.”
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Doumbouya also made a difference defensively, doing a great job at reading the Knicks’ offense and positioning himself. He blew up plays, contested shots at the rim and kept his man in front of him on the perimeter.
After a quiet outing during the Pistons’ preseason debut Friday, Doumbouya re-asserted himself and showed his offseason regime could pay off this season. His off-ball movement brought life to a Pistons offense that stagnated after the first quarter.
“There’s a big difference between him last year and this year,” Blake Griffin said. ”It blows my mind that he’s only 19 years old. He was just poised and his understanding of the game has gone to a different level. Tonight he was great. He did all of the things that we talked about, all of the things that I think are what’s going to get him more and more minutes. I think part of that is having a year under his belt, but he did do a great job this summer. He’s in great shape and he’s ready to go.”
Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarisankofa. The Free Press has started a new digital subscription model.