Bismack Biyombo
Age: 23
Height: 6-foot-9
Career stats: 21.2 mpg, 4.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.3 apg, 0.3 spg, 1.6 bpg; 50.7/0/55.9 shooting splits
2015-16 stats: 82 games, 22.0 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 0.4 app, 0.2 spg, 1.6 bpg; 54.2/0/62.8 shooting splits
Strengths:
- 7-foot-6 wingspan makes him elite interior defender
- Good rebounder
- Only 23, plenty of room to develop
Weaknesses:
- Not much of an offensive game
- Still needs more time to develop as an all-around contributor
- Poor free throw shooter
Why he makes sense for the Warriors:
Biyombo declined his player option to make himself an unrestricted free agent, and after his breakout postseason that included a 26-rebound game, he will likely command big bucks. If the Warriors let Festus Ezeli go and seek a young center to replace him, Biyombo would be the perfect fit. He has one more year of NBA experience than Ezeli, but is three years younger. He could come off the bench for a year behind Andrew Bogut, and if/when Bogut leaves in free agency next summer, Biyombo could be primed to step in and take over the center role for good, assuming his development continues.
Why he doesn’t make sense for the Warriors:
Overpaying for a risky project like Biyombo is probably not the smartest move for a championship contender like the Warriors to make. This past postseason aside, Biyombo hasn’t shown much ability to be any better than Ezeli, and if the Warriors do seek a replacement big man, they would certainly want someone who has better offensive capabilities than Biyombo. If it came down to Biyombo or Ezeli at roughly the same price, the Dubs would be best served to stick with the proven quantity that they already know.