Bismack Biyombo, PF

A virtual mystery man entering the draft, no scout is questioning Biyombo's outstanding athleticism or playing ability. What have most talent evaluators in disbelief, is the fact that his game has matured so much this season. Taking that into consideration, there are whispers that the front court standout is actually the age he claims to be -- 18.

Some reports have him as old as 22, but after dazzling NBA executives during the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit, no matter his age, he is the one "special player" making a rapid rise on team draft boards.

"It wouldn't matter to me if he was 21, because he's going to be in his prime when you have to pay him," said an Eastern Conference executive. "If he ever played up to a big contract, that's when you're going to be concerned about it. He's very much more Bo Outlaw than Gerald Wallace at this point. Like Bo, crazy athletic at both ends and keeps the ball alive at both ends and he's got a real charismatic personality. People like him for all the right reasons."

One Atlantic Division talent scout noted, "Even if he's 22, he does a lot of things that are pretty interesting. Rebounding the ball. The thing that impressed a lot of people was he was very vocal, very much a leader on the international team. He definitely didn't act like a shy, quiet 18-year-old kid. That matters. He's probably an undersized five."

Added a Northwest Division scout, "A lot of people have Biyombo over everybody right now, but I'm not sure … I think he's just the latest guy to the party, and thought of as more attractive than the same guys people have already seen too much of."

Scouts have been through this before -- seeing an "overnight sensation" cause teams to salivate without much research readily available on that player. Back in 2006, Seattle snatched up Saer Sene with the tenth overall selection, but he had four less-than-inspiring seasons in the NBA before returning to France with averages of 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in 47 games.

However, on Central Division executive refuses to compare Biyombo to the Supersonics bust. "This kid's way better than Saer Sene. He played big minutes on a good team. This kid's gonna go pretty early. He's got the mystery thing going for him, which is really important. Because we're all looking for upside, right?"

"My argument is, what difference does (his age) make? The only difference it makes is where you pick him," a Western exec said. "The good thing about picking (Serge) Ibaka and (Andrei) Kirilenko and those guys is there's no pressure. But in this Draft, you pick Biyombo at 6 (or) 8, you have all the pressures that the Darko (Milicics) and those guys went through."

"It's immense. He has a chance. (What) people don't know is he led the ACB in blocked shots. You can almost say he got that one year in Europe, Biyombo also got that by playing on the ACB team, got that experience. Maybe there's some justice to picking him that high. He's going to rebound. He's going to block shots."

Still, most NBA evaluators believe Biyombo was older than his listed age of 18, based not only on his mature body but also his leadership skills, as he led the Internationals through their pre-practice stretches and was their most vocal and energetic player. Questions of his age won't necessarily damage his stock in the draft, as his maturity will be viewed as strength.

At the Nike Hoop Summit, Biyombo "skirted" around the issue when approached about concerns over his age. When asked how long he had been playing basketball, he would only reply, "I can say that at this time I prefer to focus on the Nike week," he said with a grin. "So I will be around here after the game and I'll let people know everything they want to know, and people will question me everything they want to question and I give the answer."

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." The forward's agent disputes that assessment, saying that he took the player to a specialist to conduct a bone age study immediately upon his arrival in Spain, when Biyombo was reportedly age 16.

During the tests, X-rays were taken of Biyombo's wrist and hand to see if his growth plates were still open. Because the cartilage in his hand had not 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. The agent 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.

"The way I play here, I play everywhere," he said following the Hoop Summit. "In the ACB I play with a lot of smart guys, I play with a lot of strong guys, and when I step on the court I just want to kill them."

He is a great admirer of a pair of NBA All-Star power forwards, Kevin Love and Kevin Garnett. "Kevin Garnett is intense player," Biyombo said. "Every time he's not on the floor, his team is missing him."

"I want to (play) defense as a team. I want to help everybody on my team and I want to win the game. That's what I heard from my first coach, that the good offense is defense. If I block a lot of shots then it's good offense. If I get a lot of rebounds, then it's good offense."

Biyombo says that he began playing basketball at age twelve, both on an outdoor court near his home as well as on an indoor floor at his high school. The son of government officials in the Congo, he was introduced to basketball by his father and his uncle, both of whom played basketball in the Congo's semi-professional first division league.

At age 14, Bismack's friends urged him to start playing basketball competitively. "In high school, I was playing with friends," he said. "And one of my friends, we were playing one day, and he was just like, 'Why don't you really want to play basketball more seriously? Why don't you want to compete?'"

By the time he was 15, Biyombo was competing in Congo's first division, and scouts from teams in the Middle East began to recruit him. His father balked at the idea of his oldest child traveled the world. "I was trying to talk to him every day to convince him," the forward recalls. "He said, 'Wait for the right time. You're a young kid. You don't want to push yourself the wrong way." One year later, his father relented and Biyombo began his travels.

He played in Qatar before heading to Jordan, followed by a trek to Lebanon and finally to Yemen, spending the next six months traveling throughout the Middle East. During a tournament vs. the Jordanian national team, he impressed their coach, Mario Palma, with his athletic skills.

After the game, Palma contacted Igor Crespo, who would later become Biyombo's agent.

"You have to see this kid," Palma told Crespo. "He is from another planet. He is gifted for basketball and for life. I have no doubt that he will be an NBA player at some point if he works with the right people. You have to come to Yemen and meet him."

Crespo recruited Biyombo out of Yemen and in June 2009, the forward relocated to Spain. He slept on a couch in Crespo's apartment and was later introduced to Pepe Laso, who became his personal coach and mentor. After auditions with Caja Laboral, Unicaja Malaga, Real Madrid and CAI Zaragoza, it was the Fuenlabrada team that eventually signed him to a five-year contract.

When Fuenlabrada sold their starting center, Esteban Batista to Caja Laboral in January, 2010, they brought Biyombo up from the junior ranks to fill the roster vacancy. He was brought along slowly, performing with the scout team during practices. He was later loaned to CB Illescas Urban CLM, playing 14 games in the Spanish ACB League.

During the first half of the 2010-11 season, he appeared in fourteen games for Illescas, averaging 9.0 points while leading the league in blocked shots (27, 1.9 blocks per game) and rebounds (6.4 rebounds per game). Playing against Ricky Rubio and Prat Juventud, he scored 28 points on 12-of-15 field goals, snatched ten rebounds and blocked two shots. After two more games with the club, he re-joined Fuenlabrada in early January 2011.

Biyombo appeared in fourteen more games in the ACB League for Fuenlabrada, and while his offense limped at 6.4 points per game, he snared 71 rebounds (5.1 rebounds per game) and blocked 32 shots (2.3 blocks per game) while averaging just 16.6 minutes per contest.

"Getting more time practicing, I would make myself better," Biyombo explained. "Coach decided to give me more minutes every game, every game, every game."

It didn't take very long for Rich Sheubrooks, Nike's Consultant of Global Basketball, who lives in Barcelona, to notice Biyombo's talent. He extended an invitation for the center to come to Portland, Oregon and compete in the Nike Hoop Summit. His agent had included a clause in Biyombo's contract that would allow him to attend the event if he was invited.

However, on April 4, 2011, Spanish newspapers reported that Biyombo may have played his last game at Fuenlabrada after deciding to leave Spain to play at the Summit. After he scored seven points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a 78-61 triumph over Menorca, he informed his coach Salva Maldonado that he was leaving for the United States to play in the Hoop Summit.

Even though it was understood that Biyombo would miss the Menorca and Asefa Estudiantes games, Maldonado warned Biyombo that he would lose his place on the squad. The coach told the press, "In the locker room, he said he is going, so the player has decided to leave the train and this train will not wait for him. Let's make it clear that he leaves the team. We will have to reinvent the team again."

Biyombo registered the very first triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds, 10 blocks) in the history of the Hoop Summit, shattering Kevin Garnett's record for blocked shots in the process. He told team executives in attendance that he would keep his name in the 2011 NBA draft pool.

Biyombo is under contract with Fuenlabrada for another three years, but he has a buy-out clause, which was reported to be one million Euros. While he is expected to be an early first-round pick, it is expected that the NBA team drafting him will allow him to stay in Europe and continue to develop, in case there is a league lockout in 2011.

"The lockout is not worrying me," Biyombo said. "If there is a lockout, I can continue to play in Spain. I want to make a mark before I leave Spain. When I decided to enter the draft I spoke to my agent Igor (Crespo), and I said, 'Igor, before I leave Spain, I want to put my name on the basketball court. So when I leave Spain my name will be remembered the right way.' About the NBA, I still have time to be on the floor, still have time to work, still have time to make myself better."

Positives: Has incredible physical attributes … There are very few players who boast the standing reach (9'3") and wing span (7'7") that Biyombo possesses … That coupled with his age (18) and knowing his body still has a few more years before it will fully mature, scouts are unlikely to resist gambling on his potential … As for strength, he has the potential to be one of the strongest players in the league, once he spends a few extra hours in the weight room to work on his lower body … Still, at 240-plus pounds and only 4.8 percent body fat, combined with his reach and overall agility makes him an inviting student for some patient coach to hone his yet-to-develop offensive game … He knows his scoring acumen might never emerge, but he compensates by using his leaping ability, reach and length to instantly become the top shot blocker and rebounder when he first arrived at the Spanish ACB League level … He works hard to establish position and protect the rim, as he will generally get most of his scoring accomplished via dunks and put-backs … He works mostly on instincts, but you can see advanced development with his timing and leaps going up to alter shots … A strong passing guard will feast in feeding him the ball on alley-oops at the next level … Despite his youth (some teams openly question that he is that young), everyone in attendance at the 2011 Nike Hoop Summit saw his leadership skills and how he took over command on the court and in the locker room … He's an all-out hustler in the Dennis Rodman mold, diving into players and observers for loose balls, and showing little regard for his body … Has surprisingly quick feet and a fluid stride getting up and down the court … Times leaps well, exploding off the floor to get up and over the rim, whether to deliver the emphatic dunk or block a shot … Likes to park himself inside, where his strength, length and physicality come into play … Is becoming comfortable playing with his back to the basket and does most of his scoring from the low post … Uses his size well in attempts to establish position under the basket and has a nice spin move to feather the ball past the rim … Has a nice touch with the ball, but despite being right-handed, he gets most of his success when finishing with his left … Has a very strong physique, especially in the core area, which makes it difficult to box him out when he's trying to establish position … Times his leap well (can elevate 25 inches from a standing position) … Uses his long wingspan well when delivering the high, almost impossible-to-block layup … Will also use his reach to gather the ball from the top of the key … .Has the large, soft hands to catch the ball and score inside when his guards feed him underneath.

Negatives: Woefully raw and inexperienced, most of his limited play came in the junior or low-level European ranks (has just 14 games at the Spanish ACB level) … Outstanding athlete but must develop more skills on the offensive end; repertoire is limited to dunks, drives to the basket and putbacks … Has to work on his shooting mechanics, as he will simply chuck the ball from mid-range, lacking a quick, clean release with his jumper … Gets up and down the court with good speed and a long stride, but is like a young colt, tripping over his feet (has to refine his footwork, especially with his back to the basket) … For a player his size, you would like to see him back his man down more often … There are serious doubts that this gangly talent will develop a strong enough post game for the next level (has no creativity going "mano y mano" with his man) … Simply swoops down to secure the rebound, but has to learn a better concept for angling and develop a quicker second jump to be even more dominant (gets by on natural athletic ability and if he can ever develop mechanics, he could be another Kevin Garnett attacking the boards) … Is still a game neophyte and has not yet developed quality basketball IQ (is a very willing learner, though) … Is a walking "turnover machine," as he will either dribble high or bring the ball down low, leaving him exposed for smaller guards to sweep in and steal the sphere (averaged 2.5 turnovers per game, but was only on the court for an average of 19 minutes this season) … Is not going to be a big man in the mold of Bill Walton who can develop into a quality passer (just 11 assists in 28 games) … Shows very good determination going after the ball, but because he still lacks great coordination, most of his steal attempts lead to fouling issues (had at least one foul every seven minutes).

Compares To: High schooler Kevin Garnett, Celtics -- Celtics fans won't agree with this assessment; Biyombo devours film on Garnett and Minnesota's Kevin Love, trying as hard as he could to develop the way the once-gangly high schooler did during his early days with the Timberwolves (Garnett). As a shot blocker and rebounder, he could eventually rival Dennis Rodman because of his quick-spring energy. His athletic ability intrigues scouts the most. He's the only player we've seen with the long combination with his wing span (7-foot-7) and standing reach (9-foot-3). The good news: He realizes he needs time to develop. Whether there is a lockout or not, a team drafting him will be well-advised to leave him in the Spanish League for at least a full season before bringing him back to the states.

--Dave Te' Thomas

In 14 games with CB Illescas Urban CLM (10/02-to-12/29/10), Biyombo totaled 126 points (9.0 points per game), hitting on 50-of-85 field goals (58.8 percent) and 26-of-53 free throws (49.1 percent) … Grabbed 89 rebounds (6.4 rebounds per game), blocked 27 shots (1.9 blocks per game) and had seven assists … In 14 games for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada, he averaged 6.4 points (90), 5.1 rebounds (71) and 2.3 blocks (32) per game … Added five steals and four assists.

During the 2010-11 season, Biyombo played in a combined 28 games during the Spanish ACB League season -- fourteen for CB Illescas Urban ULM and fourteen for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada … Combined, he was on the court for 531 minutes (18.9 mpg), as he scored 216 points (7.71 points per game), making 82-of-143 field goals (57.34 percent) while shooting 52.0 percent from the foul line (52-of-100) … Grabbed 160 rebounds (5.71 rebounds per game), including 64 from the offensive glass … Added 11 assists (0.39 apg), 12 steals and 59 blocked shots (2.11 blocks per game), as he was charged with 65 personal fouls (2.32 pg) and had 69 turnovers (2.46 pg).

The charismatic Biyombo speaks five languages fluently (English, Spanish, French and two Congolese dialects) … Born 8/28/92 … Resides in Lubumbashi, Katanga, Congo.