Due to a lack of sample size from both Darius Garland and Sekou Dounbouya, this Suns Squared is going to take a look at two potential Phoenix Suns draft picks.
With the Phoenix Suns now picking sixth overall instead of the top-three position they were presumed to be choosing from, they will now have a wealth of second-tier talent to chose from if they remain in their current position, or if they trade back as part of a larger (and hopefully more impactful) move.
Vanderbilt’s Darius Garland played in only 5 games before tearing his meniscus, which for our purposes is unfortunate as it gives us no real sample size to discuss his college numbers in detail.
Sekou Dounbouya has been playing in the French League, and while he did play in 34 games last season, there is a lack of advanced numbers and detail which too limits the analysis.
Both players are worth as deep of a dive and discussion as possible, especially given the lottery results as both of these guys are in play when the Suns are currently slotted to draft.
Let’s start with Sekou.
Phoenix Suns
Sekou’s numbers certainly don’t jump off the page, he only averaged 17.6 minutes and his offensive numbers were a measly 6.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game. He did add 0.8 steals and 0.5 blocks as well (nothing special), although his line normalized a little when adjusted at a per 36-minuted rate (13.9p/6.2r/1.4a with 1.6 steals and 1 block).
His shooting numbers too were mediocre as the 6’9″ forward put up 59% on 2s, 29% on 3s, and 76% from the foul line.
Overall Sekou’s numbers don’t provide much to work with, as for many prospects coming over from Europe and beyond (Sekou was born in Guinea). However, from what I have seen, Sekou has solid physical tools given his frame and wingspan and his block stats are his best numbers, although still nothing special, with the 1 block per 36 minutes.
As a likely project when he gets to the NBA, he does have solid footwork as well as the athleticism to be a versatile defender.
Unfortunately, Sekou’s weaknesses stand out. He tends to fumble the ball and make poor decisions; his fundamentals and polish on his game aren’t there; he has a tendency to not box out and relies heavily on jumping ability to get rebounds; and while his jumpshot mechanics don’t look terrible, they aren’t great either and he utilizes a slower release.
Sekou is somewhat of a blank canvas with an okay base, but he still needs to learn the in’s and out’s of the game and build on his natural skillets across the board.
If he is going to develop into a reliable player in the NBA, it will be because his athleticism and age give him a high ceiling – should he land in the right situation to draw it all out.
Now on to Darius Garland, who’s stats are limited by his short pre-injury career at Vandy.
Garland’s name has already being mentioned as a target for the Lakers at number four because of his shooting and playmaking abilities.
In his short time at Vanderbilt, Garland put up 16.2 points per game behind 54% shooting overall and 48% shooting from 3 on 4.6 attempts per game. When it comes to advanced numbers he posted an assist rate of 25.7%, although also a TO rate of 19.6% is…really high.
Positively though, his TS% was reflective of his solid shooting ability at 66%.
There is a lot to like in Garland’s numbers but given the small sample size it is hard if not impossible to distinguish what is real and what isn’t and we cannot know until we see him play again.
Garland’s playmaking, especially in the PnR, and his shooting ability are unquestionable, but it is the rest of his game that we will need to see proven out.
He is undersized at 6’2″ and 175lbs, which will hurt him both offensively and defensively in the NBA. He is fast in the open floor but that is the only spot where his athleticism is above average.
The combination of limited size and athleticism is worrisome and how he handles that will dictate his ceiling.
Still, his playmaking and shooting abilities are hard to ignore and he certainly would be an electric sidekick next to Devin Booker.