Biyombo won’t command anywhere near a max contract, but can he be a valuable addition to a team this offseason?
“A very explosive 6’9” center with a terrific wingspan..” “…possibly a shot blocking specialist.” These were some strengths that NBADraft.net called out in regards to Biyombo before being drafted in 2011 by the Sacramento Kings (and then traded to the Charlotte Bobcats on draft night). There were weaknesses as well… Scouts said “Offensive game is a long ways from being NBA ready” and “He still needs to develop his footwork and overall awareness.”
Four years later, the same strengths and weaknesses are glaringly still evident in Biyombo’s game. He still travels close to the basket when trying to finish with a post move. He still doesn’t finish strong enough through contact. On the bright side, his length still disturbs players driving in the lane, be it James Harden or a big like Anderson Varejao. He still collects a ton of rebounds, as evidenced by his 11.88 Rebounds per 36 minutes. He finished in the top 10 in blocks per game his first two seasons in the league, and he still finished 17th this year while playing less than 20 minutes per game. A team in need of rebounding and low-post defense could very easily be willing to ignore his offensive ineptitude in order to shore up their frontcourt defensively. So who would be a good fit for Biyombo? Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Karl Anthony-Towns hasn’t suited up for an NBA game yet, and already the Timberwolves have improved on their bottom-10 finishes in Rebounding, Blocks, and Defensive Efficiency. Still, their numbers were atrocious in all three categories last year, and Towns can’t play the whole game. Nikola Pekovic and Anthony Bennett have been discussed as possible trade candidates by many analysts, and Chase Budinger is on an expiring contract. If room is made, Biyombo could be a very smart option to backup Towns in Minnesota. Gorgui Dieng is a similar player, albeit better offensively, to Biyombo, however Dieng may start at PF for the Wolves next season, especially if Bennett/Pekovic aren’t on the team.
New York Knicks
The Knicks make perfect sense. They’re in need of talent. Actually, they’re in need of basketball players period. Currently, they have a grand total of six players on their roster, not counting draft picks. Kristaps Porzingis was the only big selected by the Knicks, and Jason Smith and Travis Wear are the only post players on the roster at the moment. New York is swinging for the (Little League?) fences this year, hosting the likes of Greg Monroe, David West, and Robin Lopez, but if they can’t get more than one big free agent for the frontcourt, they would be smart to pick up Biyombo and save some money in the process on a guy who is defensively similar to Robin Lopez. Biyombo may not command more than $5-7 million per year, whereas Lopez, West, and especially Monroe may wind up with $10+ million per year.
Miami Heat
The Heat have aging post players in Udonis Haslem and Chris Andersen, and signing a long-term backup to Chris Bosh (injury issues last season) may not be a bad idea. Biyombo was more than serviceable in spot starts over the past two seasons when Al Jefferson was out, posting several double-doubles and almost always approaching or exceeding 10 rebounds. Miami struggled heavily with rebounding last year, and Bosh isn’t the best rebounder as it is. With Haslem/Andersen possibly gone after next year, Miami could use Biyombo’s steadily improving rebounding in their frontcourt. Offering a mid-level exception might be enough to obtain Biyombo for the Heat, and it would be a smart move as they try to make the playoffs next season.
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