Bismack Biyombo’s rise up the NBA Draft board
With the 2011 NBA Draft now just a few weeks away, teams and fans alike are scouring for every available resource to find out all that they can about any prospect that could fall into their range on the big night.
There are few unknowns with players like Kemba Walker and Brandon Knight having spent years in the national spotlight, dating back to storied high school careers. But still, amongst such household names at the top of every mock draft on the net, is one name and a whole lot of uncertainty: Bismack Biyombo.
The Congolese national seemingly burst onto the North American radar in April of this year at the Nike Hoop Summit in Portland. Playing against the world’s highest rated prospects in his age group, the 18-year-old did more than make an impression, he stole the show.
The 6’9″ Biyombo showcased his ridiculous 7’7″ wingspan on the way to recording a Hoop Summit record 10 blocks, surpassing the former record of nine set by Kevin Garnett over 15 years ago. Along the way, he also managed to score 12 points on 71 percent from the field, and collect 11 rebounds for the first ever triple-double in the history of the annual showcase.
Following this performance Biyombo’s name understandably shot up draft boards, currently sitting as high as No. 5 and as low as No. 14 on some of the most reputable mocks available.
So, he’s a lottery pick, but what else do we really know?
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For starters, he wasn’t introduced to the game until high school, yet, according to Draft Express was competing in Congo’s premier division within a year of picking up a basketball. He then went on to play professionally in Yemen before moving to Spain to join Club Baloncesto Illescas.
While this resume may seem underwhelming to many, he was soon able to work his way onto the senior team as a teenager in what many consider the most competitive league outside of the NBA in the world. Playing just 17 minutes per contest he put up respectable averages of 6.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in just 10 games before leaving Europe for the Hoop Summit against his team’s wishes to pursue his dream of playing in the NBA.
Still, there isn’t a whole lot of in game footage available to base such a high selection on, but potential can hinge on much more than a proven track record. It’s important to consider some of the other elements that could factor into his ability to become a successful professional player at the highest level in the world.
When you look at Biyombo the first thing you notice is his size. Weighing 243 pounds, with just 4.8 percent body fat he already has an NBA body and speaks fluent english. His thick, muscular legs anchor a powerful frame that should easily be able to carry more weight as his body further develops.
At 6’9″ many project him as a power forward at the next level, but in a center-depleted league he has the length and athleticism to more than hold his own at the five spot. Remember, Ben Wallace was an All-Star center for years at only around 6’5″. Biyombo’s body is quite similarly built, but with much more explosiveness and potential.
Biyombo’s game to date resembles Wallace’s at his peak, albeit at a lower level of competition. Obviously, he needs to adjust to the speed of the game, but his quickness and ability to run up and down the floor is already fast by NBA standards. He brings so much energy, agility and bounce to the game that his rebounding and shot blocking skills will translate from Day 1, but that’s not where the Wallace comparison ends unfortunately.
Biyombo’s offensive game is extremely limited at this point, with the vast majority of his buckets coming from dunks and putbacks, leading some to question if it will ever be more than that.
Still, as Wallace himself proved, defense and rebounding are valuable commodities, and can make you a game changer even if you don’t score a single point. Biyombo has the potential to be just that, and as games go on you can see how he gets in the opposition’s heads. They begin to realize that if they enter the lane that they’ll undoubtedly meet him at the rim; he literally tries to block every shot. After being laid out or having their shot rejected (usually both) on a few occasions those same players who started off the game aggressively attacking the paint are now settling for outside jump shots.
These thoughts alone are enough to get general managers around the league salivating, but what really sets Biyombo apart is his attitude. He possesses an unparalleled work ethic for someone his age, and his desire to improve is such that he reportedly works himself to the point of physical collapse. He always plays with a high motor and doesn’t take possessions off no matter the score of the game, and his hunger is so genuine that it’s contagious.
He has the rare ability to energize his team and the fans from a defensive perspective the way players often do with spectacular dunks or timely three-point baskets.
All things taken into consideration, Biyombo may well have the highest potential ceiling of any player in this draft if his offensive game ever develops. This includes the consensus top two picks, Derrick Williams and Kyrie Irving. His individual team workouts will tell the true tale, but with so much potential do not be surprised if he doesn’t have to wait too long before his name is called on draft night.
It wouldn’t be out of the question for one of the first few teams that he works out for liking what they see and giving him a personal guarantee that they’ll select him if he refuses to work out for any other teams, just like Phoenix did for Amare Stoudemire back in 2002. The general manager who engineered that agreement was none other than Bryan Colangelo, who selects fifth in this year’s draft for a Toronto Raptors teams in desperate need of a defensive anchor.
If he should happen to last past the top five picks, don’t expect him to slide too much further down the board, because Detroit picks at No. 8 and Joe Dumars knows better than anyone the potential impact that a defensive force can have on a franchise.
Of course, as with any time the term potential is used as abundantly as it has been here, there is a certain element of risk that must be considered. Is he really the next Ben Wallace or closer to the next Chris Wilcox, will he follow in the footsteps of his countryman Serge Ibaka or turn out be another Saer Sene?
Raw physical ability can sometimes translate and other times be lost in translation, but as the adage says, “no risk, no reward.”
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