2019 NBA Mock Draft: Learning from the playoffs

By the time it’s all said and done, Doumbouya may end up being a top-five player in this class. The coaches at CSP Limoges have trusted the Guinean forward more as the season goes on and he makes the most of his minutes, flashing a different skill every few minutes on the court at just 18 years old.

This isn’t a Luka Doncic situation where the guy is making reads years ahead of his age, but Doumbouya is dominating in the ways you would hope to see from an 18-year-old. Projecting reasonable growth and comfort with his game over time, we could be looking at a legitimate NBA-caliber starter who is a mismatch on both ends of the floor.

Doumbouya is excellent in transition, able to finish and create. Against bigger, slower players, you’ll see Doumbouya straight up beat guys down the floor. But he also has a size and physicality in his game that helps him create transition turnovers by ripping the ball out of opponents’ hands.

The problem is these things come in flashes. It’s not Kawhi Leonard turning into a walking turnover when he’s engaged on defense. Doumbouya will do something special maybe once per game — he will need a great staff to help him acclimate to America and develop his game.

That’s where Atlanta comes in. He would be a nice addition to their group because of his size, defensive upside and reasonable shooting ability, and they have dedicated themselves to maximizing young players.