It feels strange to say it, because we were just saying hello. But this season might be Sekou Doumbouya's last chance with the Pistons. He's the only holdover from the pre-Troy Weaver era, and that feels strange to say, too. At 20 years old, Doumbouya is the longest-tenured player on the team.
Maybe his youth buys him more time. The 15th overall pick in 2019 still has plenty of room to grow. But Doumbouya didn't do much growing last year when the Pistons expected him to grow a bunch, and now a new core of players is taking over the franchise.
Doumbouya seems to sense what's at stake this season. As he prepares to play alongside guys like Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey and Killian Hayes in the Las Vegas Summer League, he was asked on Thursday how it feels to be the Pistons' longest-tenured player.
"It’s special," he said. "But at the same time, you’re like, what’s next? What’s next for me, especially? I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m still a Detroit Piston. I'm still playing for the team. So whatever happens, happens. It's a business."
In barely a year on the job, Weaver has overhauled Detroit's roster. He's jettisoned players young and old, cheap and expensive. He's purged the organization of any pieces who weren't part of his vision. Doumbouya's the last one left. He's entering the final year of his rookie contract, with a club option for next season. You can see why this season is so important.
Doumbouya remains exceptionally young in the NBA. That can't be stressed enough. He was always going to be a project for the Pistons. But it wasn't a project that Weaver started, and it might not be one he plans to finish. Doumbouya averaged 5.1 points in 56 games last season after averaging 6.4 in 38 games as a rookie. He played fewer minutes because he didn't earn more.
When Doumbouya plays downhill, his athleticism shines. That's how he won Detroit's heart for a couple weeks his rookie season. You remember. The dunk on Tristan Thompson. The matchups with LeBron and Kawhi. The big game against Boston. He was 'The Prince' that was promised. To restate his place in the Pistons' future, Doumbouya has to get back to attacking the rim.
He's had a good week of practice, according to Dwane Casey. The key will be carrying that into Summer League games starting Sunday, then into training camp and eventually into the season.
"He’s doing a much better job of finishing in traffic and through contact," Casey said Thursday. "That’s a step that I’ve seen in these last couple days and hopefully it carries over. But the leadership piece is huge also, the enthusiasm he’s playing with. Those are all positive things that he’s brought to the table this summer."
Heading into Summer League, Doumbouya said he's not overthinking things. He said he wants to "just get out there and play." He can make the game look easy when he trusts himself. He ended last season on a high note, averaging 11.5 points and 4.9 boards while shooting 46 percent from the field in his final eight games -- after his minutes more than doubled.
There's still promise in Doumbouya, and still an opportunity before him. This feels like the one he needs to grasp.