The Detroit Pistons fanbase is hoping that scouting methods have improved since 2003.
The Pistons selected forward Sekou Doumbouya _ a native of Guinea _ Thursday night in the first round of the 2019 NBA draft.
Pistons fans will immediately think back to the star-studded draft of 2003 when the Pistons and former team president Joe Dumars used the No. 2 pick on Darko Milicic, who never panned out.
Doumbouya, a 6-foot-9, 210-pound prospect, is one of the youngest players in the draft at 18.
Most draft websites project the prospect to develop into a potential starter one day, although he will be a developmental prospect for the staff under second-year coach Dwane Casey.
He's athletic, but needs to work on his shot.
He played in the Pro-A French League for Limoges. He has "outstanding physical tools for a modern-day NBA forward _ particularly defensively, where he shows significant potential _ and he has a projectable skill level offensively," according to ESPN.
As expected, Zion Williamson went No. 1 overall to New Orleans, followed by Ja Morant to Memphis and R.J. Barrett to the New York Knicks. Atlanta traded up to No. 4, taking De'Andre Hunter.
Doumbouya is joining a 41-41 Pistons team _ good for the Eastern Conference's eighth seed _ which reached the playoffs for only the second time in a decade.
The postseason quickly ended in a four-game sweep at the hands of the top-seed Milwaukee Bucks, a series where the average margin of victory was 23.75 points per game.
Detroit is built around All-Star Blake Griffin and center Andre Drummond.
The Pistons pulled off a trade late Wednesday night, landing a likely starting small forward in Tony Snell for power forward Jon Leuer.
The Pistons also received the rights to the Bucks' first-round pick (30th overall), which came later Thursday.
In media availability earlier this week, Pistons senior advisor Ed Stefanki cautioned against expecting immediate contributions from the team's first pick.
"I think that's difficult, a rookie to jump in there," Stefanski said. "That's going to be up to Coach Casey. Knowing Case _ he'll disagree with me _ but if you don't play defense, you're not getting on the court. It's going to be hard for a rookie to break in."
