NBA Draft 2019: 5 targets for the Washington Wizards

ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Brandon Clarke #15 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs dunks the ball against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the second half of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament West Regional at Honda Center on March 30, 2019 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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BERLIN, GERMANY – MAY 14: Sekou Doumbouya, #14 of U18 Insep Paris during the Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament game U18 Mega Bemas Belgrade v U18 INSEP Paris at Sportforum on May 14, 2016 in Berlin, Germany. (Photo by Patrick Albertini/EB via Getty Images) /

4. Sekou Doumbouya, PF, France

The Step Back Big Board Ranking: 20

Doumbouya will likely be going around this range, and the Wizards could bet on the upside of an athletic 4 with a decent handle and finishing skill regardless of what their roster looks like.

While he’s probably not the high-upside player that he sometimes is billed as, Doumbouya looks like he’ll have a functional fit in the NBA at the four with a few tweaks to his game. Doumbouya is probably pretty close to his peak athletic development and needs to learn to use that athleticism to translate into functional skill play. In particular, he hasn’t shown enough growth as a ball-handler to really have any upside as a creator, and he needs to improve his footwork as in pick-and-roll defense. His shot is also a big swing skill — right now he doesn’t look like much of a shooter, but he does have some upside there if he can improve his upper body mechanics. That could open up his off-ball game as well, allowing him to be a bigger threat off-ball as a slasher.

Doumbouya is still very raw, but he has good potential as a defender and off-ball 4 if he can grow into his skill set as he matures. It might take him a few years to get up to speed, but it looks like the Wizards can afford that type of development project given where their roster is at. The type of player Doumbouya can become lends to flexibility in lineup choices and roster construction, and that might be beneficial with the lack of flexibility the Wizards have financially over the next few years.

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