November 2, 2019

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September 12, 2018

Back with the team that drafted him after a bizarre summertime in trade (in which the Hornets were somehow able to get two second-round picks for swapping Timofey Mozgov's $16 million salary for Biyombo's $17 million), Biyombo will split time at centre with Cody Zeller and Willy Hernangomez. This is not an ideal situation for any of the three, who cannot foreseeably make for any power forward/centre combinations. As the most expensive and (amazingly!) oldest of the three, as well as the most recent and lowest-priced acquisition, Biyombo is the odd man out, the player offered rather than targeted. Hernangomez, one of the few youthful bright sparks on the team, will need opportunities on the court, and while yet another extended injury absence from Zeller would ease the rotation crunch, Zeller also needs to get good game minutes himself in order to realise his potential and/or rebuild his value on his own sizeable contract. More importantly, given how much they are paying to not go anywhere (and considering how they have so little in the way of expiring salary), the Hornets need to save money. And so if Biyombo would take a buyout and stretch, a la Luol Deng, in order to save on luxury tax this year and open up just a slither of a chance of being able to keep Walker next year, the Hornets would surely listen. Biyombo would definitely get another contract elsewhere, making it viable if unlikely at this time.

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June 29, 2017

Bismack Biyombo
C, 6’9, 255lbs, 24 years old, 6 years of experience

Beginning an absolutely enormous contract was not going to suddenly make Biyombo a multi-skilled offensive player. He did shoot more than ever, taking a bunch more hook shots and not being deterred from mid-range jump shots by last year’s 27% shooting on them, but lost 40 points on his true shooting percentage as a result, because he remained good at neither of those shots. The decline in his rebounding rate is more concerning - it’s still good, but no longer really good - and although offences going away from him due to his defensive presence makes some sense, it does cap his individual measurable value, especially in trade. Considering the cost of the Biyombo/Vucevic offence/defence centre pairing, the trade route must remain open. And as expensive as Bismack is, someone will want him.

Player Plan: Three years and $51 million remaining, with a player option in the last year. It’s too much, frankly, but there’s no urgency in moving it now, so see how he grows.

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October 10, 2013

Bismack Biyombo, Charlotte Bobcats

Biyombo showed scant few signs of improvement as a sophomore, and remains an offensive liability with only flashes of significant defensive impact to show for it. His best chance to impress will come this season, particularly at the start, as Brendan Haywood will miss the first three months of the season due to injury. This gives Biyombo a likely lengthy run at the center spot, playing as many minutes as he proves capable of. However, this comes only after the deadline for his option season decision has passed.

Biyombo's body of work to date is not convincing. However, his relatively cheap price for a big man prospect ($3,873,398) and the Bobcats' general lack of talent make his option season a worthwhile, if far from certain, investment for the future.

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June 25, 2011

Pick 7: Jon Barry theorizes that Charlotte needs to pick a scoring two guard, for they have a gaping lack of offense. Naturally, not 30 seconds later, Charlotte takes an offenseless power forward - Bismack Biyombo. The next Serge Ibaka, sort of.

Whereas Jan Vesely kissed a tall hot blonde girl twice, Biyombo immediately finds a short bald old man and kisses him twice. Over the top, Fraschilla stresses that Biyombo "can't score at all." Welcome to the 2011 NBA Draft - the number 7 pick can't make a shot, and the number 4 pick can't play the game.

Biyombo is as raw as anyone except the similarly named Qatari guy, to whom we will soon arrive. But he's come very far very quickly, as explained here. His development will take a while, but Charlotte has got a while. And at the very least, Tyrus Thomas gets to be a regular NBA starter now. (Also note: lest there were any doubt, Boris Diaw is now a goner.)

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June 24, 2011

Bismack Biyombo - Biyombo exploded onto the scene by leading the ACB in shot blocks, by a long way, at an age when players rarely appear in that league at all. He recorded 2.3 blocks per game last season - tied for second place were crafty veteran D'Or Fisher, currently of Real Madrid, and the man Biyombo backed up, upstart late blooming Argentinian big man Gustavo Ayon (who has had a hell of a year, but we'll save that for another day). Biyombo put up his 2.3 blocks in only 16.6 minutes per game - comparatively, Fischer took 19.6 mpg for his, while Ayon needed a comparatively enormous 22.1. Per 40 minutes, Biyombo led the league at 5.4; Real Madrid's Mirza Begic (who played very limited minues) was second with 4.4; Fran Vazquez was third with 3.3, and Fischer was fourth at 3.2. Ayon was fifth at 2.4. No one else came close.

Considering the minutes played, his age, the standard of opposition, and his relative inexperience - Biyombo's only previous experience had been in the lower levels of Spanish basketball, and he had not played in the ACB before this season - his achievements in this category have been incredibly. He does of course contribute little else right now; the rebounding is OK, but the offensive skillset is extremely raw, and the foul rates prodigious. But in a league full of truly good players, Biyombo proved himself to be head and shoulders above the rest in one category. That counts for something.

Comparisons to Serge Ibaka are inevitable. One came from the Republic of Congo; the other came from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both came through ACB team systems; Biyombo at Fuenlebrada, Ibaka at L'Hospitalet and Manresa. Both are slender, athletic, shot blocking power forwards who get draft hype on account of their blocks more than anything else. Both need (or needed) plenty of seasoning. Ibaka stayed in Spain to get it. So may Biyombo.

Comparisons to Serge Ibaka are also highly valid. Ibaka's growth and maturation into a starting calibre NBA player has been remarkably quick, and for Biyombo to mirror that will be quite the achievement. Ibaka is a very good NBA player. Yet they've pretty much mirrored each other thus far, so how much further can it go?

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