Bismack Biyombo

[MBz]

I'm going to pass.  There's been some serious concerns about his age.  Some people even think he's in the 23-26 age range.

Unjustified concerns, he's 18. 

How do you know?  Numerous people are questioning it, it's not like I am just making it up out of the blue.  I wouldn't exactly call it unjustified.  I might be crazy, but I want to know for sure how old someone is before we draft him. 

[indeedproceed]

I'm going to pass.  There's been some serious concerns about his age.  Some people even think he's in the 23-26 age range.

Unjustified concerns, he's 18. 

How do you know?  Numerous people are questioning it, it's not like I am just making it up out of the blue.  I wouldn't exactly call it unjustified.  I might be crazy, but I want to know for sure how old someone is before we draft him. 

I found this pretty compelling:

The one thing that continues to dog Biyombo are the question marks NBA teams have about his age. Recently converted NBA draft analyst David Aldridge wrote that an NBA GM he spoke with said he had heard rumors that Biyombo was “anywhere from 23 to 26.”

Our research has revealed some slightly different information. Coaches who have worked with Biyombo earlier in his career while he was still in Congo think he's “no older than 20 at most,” while Biyombo's agent, Igor Crespo, has evidence that proves Biyombo is even younger.

Crespo says he took Biyombo to a specialist to conduct a bone age study immediately upon his arrival in Spain (Biyombo was reportedly 16). The study, as explained here involves taking x-rays of an adolescent's wrist and hand to see if his growth plates are still open. Because the cartilage in Biyombo's hand hadn't fused at that point, the specialist came to the conclusion that he could be 16 or 17 at most, but not 18, when growth plates are expected to be closed.

This obviously rules out the possibility of Biyombo being five to eight years older than he's listed, as the wild speculation we've seen recently on the Internet indicates. Crespo says he will willingly share these x-rays with any NBA team that requests them. One team we spoke with has already begun to evaluate the x-rays.

I'm not sure this means that he's 18 now, but I think it puts some significant doubt into him being 23 or even 26. Still a pretty open ended question, but anyone coming from a country with poor records keeping and incentive to lie about their age is in doubt at this point.

[dtrader]

this guy just looks like a shorter haseem thabeet to me. Can't shoot, can't dribble, no signs of any passing ability, and a frame that might not be capable of putting on the weight necessary to play PF in the league.

[indeedproceed]

this guy just looks like a shorter haseem thabeet to me. Can't shoot, can't dribble, no signs of any passing ability, and a frame that might not be capable of putting on the weight necessary to play PF in the league.

Saer Sene.

[scoop1977]

I'm going to pass.  There's been some serious concerns about his age.  Some people even think he's in the 23-26 age range.

Unjustified concerns, he's 18. 

How do you know?  Numerous people are questioning it

Who? Do you have names or is just anonymous slander?

this guy just looks like a shorter haseem thabeet to me. Can't shoot, can't dribble, no signs of any passing ability, and a frame that might not be capable of putting on the weight necessary to play PF in the league.

How much additional weight do you think he needs? It seems to me he's actually pretty ready physically to play the 4 in the league and that he shouldn't have much trouble adding some more bulk. I find your opinion puzzling, one thing most people agree is that adding weight shouldn't be a problem for him at all. Are you sure you aren't talking about Lucas Nogueira?

Saer Sene.

Why do you think he's similar to Sene? I think they're extremely different. Why do you believe in that.

[indeedproceed]

Saer Sene.

Why do you think he's similar to Sene? I think they're extremely different. Why do you believe in that.

Saer Sene was the last guy to get 10+ blocks at the Portsmouth Invitational.

[Chris]

this guy just looks like a shorter haseem thabeet to me. Can't shoot, can't dribble, no signs of any passing ability, and a frame that might not be capable of putting on the weight necessary to play PF in the league.

Well, the difference is (at least to me), he seems like a much smoother athlete.  To me, Thabeet (and Sene) always looked a bit uncoordinated.  They might have had some impressive athletic stats, but they never looked like someone who was comfortable in their body.

From the little I have seen from Biyombo, he looks a lot closer to someone like the guy from OKC (I am drawing a blank on his name).  He is certainly raw, but you can clearly see the coordination and smooth athleticism that isn't there with some of those other guys.   

[MBz]

I'm going to pass.  There's been some serious concerns about his age.  Some people even think he's in the 23-26 age range.

Unjustified concerns, he's 18. 

How do you know?  Numerous people are questioning it

Who? Do you have names or is just anonymous slander?

this guy just looks like a shorter haseem thabeet to me. Can't shoot, can't dribble, no signs of any passing ability, and a frame that might not be capable of putting on the weight necessary to play PF in the league.

How much additional weight do you think he needs? It seems to me he's actually pretty ready physically to play the 4 in the league and that he shouldn't have much trouble adding some more bulk. I find your opinion puzzling, one thing most people agree is that adding weight shouldn't be a problem for him at all. Are you sure you aren't talking about Lucas Nogueira?

Saer Sene.

Why do you think he's similar to Sene? I think they're extremely different. Why do you believe in that.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/04/10/nike.hoop.summit/index.html

[Proveo]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/ian_thomsen/04/10/nike.hoop.summit/index.html

Seems like anonymous rumours and hearsay.

Saer Sene.

Why do you think he's similar to Sene? I think they're extremely different. Why do you believe in that.

Saer Sene was the last guy to get 10+ blocks at the Portsmouth Invitational.

What's that? That game with some high-school kids? I don't see how is that relevant, 1 stat in a random exhibition game.

How many times have you seen Biyombo playing? They're very different players, even in terms of talent. There's no way Sene can land a job in a Spanish League club, for example, even now. As I've said, Biyombo has a very different background than most of those african prospects.

[indeedproceed]

What's that? That game with some high-school kids? I don't see how is that relevant, 1 stat in a random exhibition game.

How many times have you seen Biyombo playing? They're very different players, even in terms of talent. There's no way Sene can land a job in a Spanish League club, for example, even now. As I've said, Biyombo has a very different background than most of those african prospects.

How many times have you seen him play?

I was making the point that the last time someone suddenly arrived on the scene with 10 blocks in a single game of the portsmouth invitational, he was a bust.

[wiley]

All I know is if we get Bismack Biyombo this year, then I'll be hoping we pick up Myck Kabongo in the 2012 draft...

Just so I can hear Mike and Tommy deal with those names during their 32cnd year.  I could see Tommy just using Mick and Mack to simplify.....

fyi:  Myck Kabongo will be the PG for the Texas Longhorns next year....

[Army_of_One_Nation]

Once upon a time in the NBA, there were players such as Larry "Mr. Mean" Smith, Leonard "Truck" Robinson, and Paul Silas. They all had very good careers and rebounding was their main specialty. If Bismack can rebound and block shots, and those are things the C's need, then he will be successful. 

[dtrader]

Once upon a time in the NBA, there were players such as Larry "Mr. Mean" Smith, Leonard "Truck" Robinson, and Paul Silas. They all had very good careers and rebounding was their main specialty. If Bismack can rebound and block shots, and those are things the C's need, then he will be successful. 

I'm not familiar with any of their playing careers, but I highly doubt they had frames at all similar to Bismacks.  There's a difference being lean because you haven't filled out, and being lean because you have the genetics of a naturally slender build.   He may have the athleticism of serge ibaka, but Ibaka is built like the incredible hulk compared to him. 

I don't know exactly how much weight he would need to put on.  I just know that I haven't seen a single highlight where he used strength as opposed to athleticism to score.  Once he gets to the league, and the gap in athleticism shrinks (and the gap in size disappears), he'll have to rely on skills...from what I've seen, that'll leave him with nothing to rely on.

[hwangjini_1]

I am also intrigued by Jeremy Tyler for the same reason.  There are certainly a lot of questions about him, but the talent is there, and that pick is just a good time to take a flyer on a kid who could be a really good big man if he gets his head on straight.

I agree. If I'm Danny this is my target.  2 years ago, he was projected to be a top 5 pick.  This was the kid who was the #1 junior in the country in a class with Harrison Barnes, Kyrie Erving, Enes Kanter, Sullinger, guys who were all projected to go at the top of the draft.  With a late first rounder, I think we need to take a chance, especially in a weak draft like this year. 

Hmmm. This sounds vaguely reminiscent of what was said about Bradley. Top of his class talent, etc.

What happened to Taylor to make his stock drop so much?

[PosImpos]

To those citing concerns about Bismack's age, I read an article that discussed the fact that Bismack's agent, Igor Crespo, took him to doctors in Spain who performed MRI (or maybe it was x-rays?) that confirmed that he couldn't be older than 17 or so (at the time he was supposedly 16) because the bones in his wrists hadn't fused yet.