Kymany Houinsou, Daryl Doualla, and Killian Malyawa | Scouting Reports
I’m Kuzey, 19. I’ve been writing about basketball since I was 9. I have been working in Eurosport Turkey for the last 1,5 years. I have written on various sites and magazines before. I’ve been working as a freelance scout for three years. I worked as a consultant. I have interviewed dozens of prospects such as Theo Maledon, Deni Avdija, Henri Drell, Aleksej Pokusevski, Arturs Kurucs, Yves Pons and dozens of notable basketball people such as Luis Scola, Xavi Pascual, Jonathan Givony, Dimitris Itoudis, Joan Plaza, Sarunas Jasikevicius, Derrick Williams. I write an article every day. I live in Turkey, I go to all the Euroleague and Youth League games. My main areas are all of the age group from Africa and U14 to U22 European, also, NCAA level. MY BIGGEST GOAL IS SCOUTING! Anyway, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and feel free to DM!
Kymany Houinsou
Kymany Houinsou’s father is a former basketball player. His father was one of France’s respected basketball players. Kymany started playing basketball for FCM at the age of three with the encouragement of his father. When he was 14, he attracted the attention of ASVEL thanks to his performance in U15 Elite against ASSM Pfastatt and Strasbourg. A year later; Strasbourg, ASVEL and Chalon made an offer to him, but he chose ASVEL because of ASVEL’s youth academy system. Although he was born in Strasbourg, he found the importance ASVEL gives to young players both in education and basketball issues. Kymany plays in ASVEL’s youth team and Tony Parker’s newly formed TPAA. The team he most wants to play in the NBA is the Los Angeles Lakers. His favorite players are Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. He has a tight bond with his family. He loves his father very much, he has a good relationship with his 22 years-old sister and has a special bond with his mother.
Physical
Standing 6-foot-4 with a strong 180-pound frame for his age and a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Kymany Houinsou has great size for a 16 years-old point guard in my opinion. His arms are long but has room to get stronger. Wide shoulders, strong core muscles. Needs strength to his chests. For his lower body, quick footwork, almost great vertical pop, average lateral movement, mobile hips, and lack of power legs. I think Kymany has physical tools and athletics package to play with great athletics in the modern game. I mean, the French guard can combine burst and go-stop-go techniques with his vertical pop, lateral movement, and BBIQ, doing well in both half court, full court, and transition situations. A good slasher as a fluid athlete, a dominant painted area player as an explosive athlete, also, can play above the rim. He can read the opponent’s closeout defense and react well. He uses his wide wingspan and hard physical base to do this, but at the end of the day, I think KH needs to gain weight, make up his skill-set and play a little more balanced.
Offense
I think Kymany’s offensive game package is predicated on his ability to use his quickness with the ball to make things happen in the open floor. I mean, the most efficient weapon in his arsenal is slashing. Kymany sees things early, sets up his body well, and reacts against the opponent’s defensive line. One of my favorite things about his offensive game is his reaction to the closeout defense. Kymany is able to score points thanks to his BBIQ, perfect body balance, vertical pop, and ability to play around the rim, using burst and go-stop-go techniques against opponent mixed rotate defense, especially when he picks the ball in the left forward. An intelligent, competitive player, Kymany has not killer-scoring instincts. He is like a primary handler and micro scorer. An unselfish, talented distributor who keeps the ball moving, KH fared well creating for himself and others as a primary ballhandler in the pick and roll as his combination of quickness, court vision, defensive handling, and great decision-making mechanism. I think he is not a crafty or shifty player, usually plays as a reliable passer and scorer. Can decision in the air with great (really great) body coordination, two-foot leap, and ball-timing. Can finish in traffic but can’t finish against PFs, and Cs. Can change direction, has not great first step but knows how to rotate his hips in layups-floaters-cuts-dunks. As a shooter, Houinsou has a lot of room. His shooting mechanism too slow needs solidness and smoothness. This applies to both free throws, mid-range, and three-pointers. He can’t create his own shot and doesn’t do well in the CnS situations either. Needs to learn how to use fakes in off-ball motions. I mean, he read the defense and reacts well but sometimes his moves predictable. He dribbles to the right channel better than the left channel. In the transitions, he can run well with the ball, finishes with dunks, or can find others after hesitations. I think Kymany has learn to play post. I know this may sound like a ridiculous thing to say, but if someone with his size can play a little effectively in the post zone, I think Kymany can make a big difference against their opponents.
Defense
Showing great anticipation and a degree of tenacity guarding on the ball defensively, Kymany has pretty nice skill-set on the defensive end. Thanks to his general body coordination, eye-hand sees, and quick hands, Kymany steals the ball, runs the floor and finishes positions. A competitive but also a balanced defender who is energetic on and off the ball, KH is not especially strong or overly quick, but his wingspan and BBIQ makes him a pesky defender. Runs through passing lanes after a good game reading. I think his off-ball defense is underrated. Kymany is not someone who follows his opponent at full throttle around the screens, he uses his energy wisely. I mean, KH’s good at rotating and closeout when heading towards his opponent’s spot, instead of constantly running around screens. I don’t think he’s a defensive playmaker, nor is he a great shell guard, but Houinsou showed some flashes on guiding his teammates, and he’s been able to face stronger players in some positions. He can defend quick guards but sometimes reacts badly to shooting fakes, also, the French guard must learn to put pressure on catch-and-shooters. Kymany has the potential to do pretty good work in the pick-and-roll defense, he showed good PnR reacts 17 times at ANGT. His wide wingspan helps him here. His timing on the rollers is good, plus he does well laterally by moving his hips while he sets up his sturdy stance. I don’t think his switch defense and rim protection are good. He doesn’t need to protect the rim perfectly, but I think should react like PnR in general switches. Overall I think he is one of the top three defenders out of 10 players on his team. As he plays more matches, his development on the defensive end could be excellent.
Summary
Kymany Houinsou is a point guard who has the potential to make a difference in the modern game. Compared to many 16-year-old PGs, SGs and SFs, his physical tools are good, he’s almost perfect in slashing in his offensive pack, and his ability to do many things on defense can make him a good NBA player. However, I think he should gain strength, needs experience, improve his shooting, and be more active in the team.
Daryl Doualla
Physical
Standing 6-foot-5 with a near 6-foot-9 wingspan, Daryl Doualla has great size for his age in my opinion. Lack of strength hurt his stock as a small forward but for the good things window, long arms, wide and strong shoulders, and mobile chests and core muscles make up for his lack of strength. In his lower body, Doualla has a great combination of vertical pop and lateral movement. Also, he really good linearly. Quick, very quick feet, not mobile but strong hips, and smooth legs. I think his athletics package is a big plus. Because Doualla can create his own shot, play as a spot-up shooter and also play as a primary scorer, he is a small forward that creates a direct shooting effect, threatens, with killer scorer instincts. In addition to these, the fluency in his slashing ability with hesitation, dunks in the transitions, and off-ball motions smoothness make him an all-around scorer. So his athleticism is very good for a 16-year-old 6-foot-5 player.
Offense
In my opinion, Daryl Doualla is impressive on the open floor and good on the half-court offense with killer scoring instincts. He is a scorer first and an adequate ball handler. I think Doualla glides up and down the court easily, especially in transition situations. DD can create his own shot around the perimeter, mostly using burst and pump fakes before elevating for a jumper or attack the basket with great BBIQ. I mean, this kid reads defense very well and reacts very well too. With adding a hesitation dribble to his offensive game repertoire, Doualla could stop on a dime, attack right or left, pull up, cross right or left, or even have the choice to spot others open for a pass to score. Doualla is completely a catch-and-shooter in 3-pointers shooting. Also, the only thing he shows his talent in off-ball motions is catch-and-shooter situations. Doualla usually goes from the left corner to the right-wing playing on the horns stagger and shoots after takes the ball. He’s a good shooter as a CnS player, but I think his shooting mechanism is heavy for the NBA standards. release and timing in Doualla’s shooting mechanics are slow. After taking the ball, the defense approaches him until he bends his legs and raises his body. The last moment the ball leaves his hand is safe and has a good arc, but the time that has passed until that moment creates a question mark in my mind. I think DD needs to improve on this, also DD needs to learn how to create his own 3-pointers, at least after pick-and-roll. He dribbles perfectly to the left. As the primary scorer, he gives the right dribble fake and quickly dribbles to the left, while using his vertical pop in one-foot layup, born in 2004 French guard knows how to use his momentum from the rim. I can’t say that he always plays well around the rim, but he knows how to use rim and find buckets. I think Doualla is an excellent finisher in traffic. Despite his lack of power, he wears his BBIQ against PFs and Cs. After dribbling the painted area, he using his burst, gives fake and keeps his body at the bottom, and does not rise until the last moment. He doesn’t have a soft touch, but Doualla does get him good things when he gets the ball out quickly in my opinion. Not a good passer. Showed some flashes as a drive-and-disher but that’s it. Even his read&reacts passing is not good. Needs to learn craftiness because he has a gravity potential, creates spacing for others.
Defense
Daryl Doualla is one of the best stealers in 2003, 2004, and 2005 international prospect classes in my opinion. I think his play reading skills, reaction time, hand-eye coordination, and momentum gained from his feet make him a good stealer on the defensive end. Daryl reads passing lanes perfectly, sometimes using vertical pop and broke early painted area games. The most important thing here is that Doualla can finish the transition position himself between two to five seconds after the steal. Thanks to he can overcome the pressure with dribbling and take responsibility in critical moments, he gives his team the momentum from the defense. He’s a good defender between the perimeter and the halfway line. He can cover all the angles of his opponent on both on and off-ball defenses. But that’s it. I think DD has to improve on closeout, pick-and-roll, and switch defenses. Doualla has a good stance, but when things come to action-packed intense defense, Daryl becomes one of the team’s weakest links. Thanks to he reads the game well, shows some examples of rim protection and steals with his fast hands on the switches, but the fact that he has both questionable defense motor and physical lack of power poses a big question mark on his consistent in these issues. But when I consider Daryl as an NBA prospect at the end of the day, I can say that he has the potential to be ideal right now. I mean, I think he’s going to play as SG in the NBA, I think that’s the right choice, so you wouldn’t expect much from an SG defender other than fast deflections and the ability to transfer momentum on defense to offense. Doualla already has these skills.
Summary
In my opinion, Doualla is already one of the five best-fit names for the NBA amongst PG, SG, and SF in the 2004 international class. Because he can shoot, he can create his shots around the perimeter, he can play against players who are physically good around the rim and he has quick moves on the defensive end. Of course, there are things that need improvement, I mentioned them, but I think his current potential is quite fascinating.
Killian Malyawa
Physical
Standing 6-foot-4 with near 6-foot-10 wingspan and well-developed frame, Killian Malyawa has great physical tools and he hasn’t reached his physical and athletic celling. A high-level motor player, Malyawa’s athlectisim tools evolve around smoothness. Thank to his long arms, wide shoulders and non-fat core muscles make him a smooth athlete in my opinion. Especially when he takes the ball in corners, KM can use his bursts, drive left, pass his opponent, go to the basket and finish above the rim. He can do great dunks during transition situations, but I think he needs to improve vertical pop in general. For a 15-year-old player, his physical base and athletics package is excellent, of course, raw right now, but he has a lot of time to develop and the potential ceiling he has is quite impressive.
Offense
A great cutter (slips, backdoor cuts, stagger outs, horns flare off-ball motion player), showing great offensive awareness, Malyawa knows how to create spacing for himself by manipulating opponents in off-ball situations. I think the things he did after taking the ball are quite impressive. If KM matches an opponent who has an advantage physically, he can change direction both on the ground and in the air and finish aggressively on the rim thanks to his body balance. If he does not have any physical disadvantages, the French prospect can use his strong first step, rise on one-foot and finish with soft-touch. My favorite thing about him on both of these issues is his body balance, timing, and his aggressiveness. I think KM can score in the post with good footwork, showing pretty nice spin moves and hooks. As an on-ball offensive player, has a lot of room. Killian knows how to dribble against 2–3 zone or man defense but lack of experience and ballhandling hurt his stock here. Not a crafty or shifty player, KM showing some flashes on drive&dish but not too much. Has great potential to be two-way pick-and-roll player thanks to his physical tools, motor, and BBIQ. In my opinion, improvement in his shooting from outside and mid-range would be crucial for his further development at the next level.
Defense
Possessing good length, amazing motor and fundamentals, 15 years old French small forward is a competitive defender and I think his mobility, BBIQ, and length allow him to be a good perimeter defender, who covers pick and roll situations well. He can stay in from of thanks to his lateral speed and low-high stance. KM knows how to translate his energy from his lower body to his upper body. He can pursue the ball with energy, can cover well around the team shield, also, KM anticipates well and runs through passing lanes. Showing some flashes on rim protection but needs experience, balance, and strength to be an all-around defender. I think he is not a weak defender, has good awareness but needs to learn switch, transition, zone, and closeout defenses. With limited experience, Killian flashes good instincts as a rebounder and shot-blocker but is still developing in many ways.
Summary
I think Killian Malyawa has the highest potential among these three players. Because he has impressed what he has shown so far in athletics and offensive and defensive packages even though he has not reached his ceiling. If KM can improve his shooting, gain strength, and be balanced on the defensive end, he can be the perfect lottery pick in NBA Drafts a few years later.