Bismack Biyombo, No. 5, A gamble worth taking!!!!

Bismack Biyombo 2011

NBA next Serge Ibaka or not? 

serge Ibaka 2009

With the fifth pick in the 2011 SLAMonline Mock Draft, the Toronto Raptors select…
Bismack Biyombo from Club Baloncesto Illescas.
The Congolese sensation!

The only other players who seriously warrant consideration at this spot are Kemba Walker, Jonas Valanciunas and to a lesser extent—Jan Vesely and Kawhi Leonard. I’m not entirely sure any of these players will be able to translate their games successfully, or evolve past the middle of the bench, at the NBA level. Nor am I convinced that any of them possess viable talents that are greater than those already contained on the Raptors roster. Biyombo is a massive gamble, but in this draft, he’s a gamble worth taking.
For far too long the Raptors have been plagued by the forward-center problem. Forcing players out their natural position of power forward and planting them in the middle of the paint. Biyombo gives them their center piece.

The Raptors already have some potential in their front court, but no-one with an upside as high as Biyombo. He is years away from reaching his ceiling, if he ever does, but the Raptors are years away from any serious Playoff contention.

His shot blocking and rebounding prowess are a skill-set that has been woefully lacked by the Raptors for years and from that standpoint, Biyombo would be able to contribute immediately. He is pure and raw potential, or in other words- pure risk, but in a draft that holds no certainties, that risk is minimized. If Biyombo turns out to be Saer Sene version 2.0, at least the Raptors took the opportunity rather than meddling with mediocre talent. Walker and Leonard would likely be able to contribute at a faster and more substantive rate, but their potential is nowhere close to that of Biyombo.

His work ethic is apparently off the charts, he competes to the point of physical exhaustion, and he possess the size, length and quickness to lock down the paint. Pairing a developed Biyombo alongside Andrea Bargnani would allow both players to play to their strengths, letting their unique individual talents compensate for the others weaknesses. The killer B’s.

Reports indicate that Biyombo is a vocal leader and a coachable talent. He’s willing to listen and learn, he just needs the opportunity. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play, but in a frighteningly weak draft, it’s worth the gamble.