Ed Stefanksi will defer to coach Dwane Casey for the answer, but he has an inkling it won't take long.
"I always felt and I predicted last year that Bruce Brown would find the court because he can play defense, and I think you’ll see the same thing here in the latter part of next year," Stefanski told the Jamie and Stoney Show on 97.1 The Ticket. "I don’t see the young man coming in right away and starting or playing a lot of minutes, but if Sekou will play the defense I think he can play -- and he has the size -- I would see Case giving him some time. Again, if he’ll show the effort on the defensive end he has a chance to get some minutes."
Among Doumbouya's many promising talents, his defense is right at the top. He has the length and lateral quickness to guard just about any position on the floor. Brown was four years older than Doumbouya when he broke into the league last season, but Doumbouya has the advantage of having played professionally in France since the age of 15. He won't turn 19 until December.
"He was like a senior in high school playing against men over in the French League, so he’s had a lot of experience. Now, the players in France are not as good as the players in the NBA and he’s going to have to adapt to the speed of this game, but that experience I think is going to bode well for him," Stefanski said.
"We didn’t (think) about helping the team right away," said Stefanski. "Listen, in the first round, we can go through all the players. I don’t know how many are going to help their teams, a good team that’s vying for the playoffs. There’s not many guys in the entire first round that are going to help their team make the playoffs or get on the floor. Some guys will get on the floor because their team is not good enough.
"I’m definitely ready. I’m ready for that," he said. "I’ve been pro for three years. I’ve played against grown men and I learned a lot."
While it can be dangerous to compare draft picks to proven NBA players, Doumbouya has been likened to Toronto's Pascal Siakam. The most obvious similarity is the way he moves in transition. Doumbouya sees it himself.
"I agree with that," he said. "I feel like I play like Siakam."
It was Chauncey Billups who initially made the comparison the night of the draft. Siakam, it should be noted, entered the NBA at the age of 22 and didn't blossom until last season at the age of 24. So what does that mean for Doumbouya?
"You just never know how long it takes a player," Billups told 97.1 The Ticket. "I had played two years of college and was mature and everything and it took me four or five years. You can never really gauge how far away a player is. But I’ll tell you, this kid has a lot of promise. Very athletic, can do a lot of different things, seems to really like basketball. I was happy to see that Detroit took him because in my opinion, the Pistons we have to get lucky with somebody, man. We haven’t been awesome in the draft in a little while."