Draft Prospect: Yannick Bokolo

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.nba.com/media/draft2007/yannick_bokolo.jpg

Full Name: Yannick Bokolo
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6-2 / 180
Birthdate: June 19, 1985 (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo)
High School:
Team: Le Mans
Country: France

nbadraft.net profile (http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/yannickbokolo.html)
nba.com profile (http://www.nba.com/draft2007/profiles/YannickBokolo.html)
draftexpress.com profile (http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=192)

[Darkwaters]

I would love to see this guy taken at 58. I really doubt anybody takes him, but in a few years somebody is going to regret not doing so.

[Mr. Body]

Seems like an athlete more than a basketball player. Cue up Barkley's "deer can run and jump" comment.

[velik_m]

Could be an interesting player for the spurs, as a 3rd PG.

[mathbzh]

Seems like an athlete more than a basketball player. Cue up Barkley's "deer can run and jump" comment.
He is not a deer. By the way there is not much 6-2 deer in the NBA... there are too many 6-2 great players who are also great athletes. Any 6-2 prospect is a talented player. Sometime he is very talented... sometime he is just talented with great athletism... when he is both he is a lottery pick.

Bokolo had a solid run with France in the last FIBA championship.
He is already one of the best guard defender in europe.
He struggled this year because he tried to move to PG but was improving at the end of the season.
He is not yet a true PG. He is not very good setting up the tempo. Put he aready shows really nice things with Le Mans.
At 58 I believe he is a must pick. He is a great project who could immediatly contribute on defense (+Pro and international experience).

[Mr. Body]

He is not a deer. By the way there is not much 6-2 deer in the NBA... there are too many 6-2 great players who are also great athletes. Any 6-2 prospect is a talented player. Sometime he is very talented... sometime he is just talented with great athletism... when he is both he is a lottery pick.


Give me a break.

[Bruno]

Bokolo had a solid run with France in the last FIBA championship.
He is already one of the best guard defender in europe.
He struggled this year because he tried to move to PG but was improving at the end of the season.
He is not yet a true PG. He is not very good setting up the tempo. Put he aready shows really nice things with Le Mans.
At 58 I believe he is a must pick. He is a great project who could immediatly contribute on defense (+Pro and international experience).

Agree with what you said.
Bokolo has too a good work ethic and is in a great situation with Le Mans to continue to learn the PG spot : he will be the starting PG for them next year and will play the euroleague.
He needs too to work on his jumpshoot.
I will be thrilled if Spurs draft him with teh 58th pick but I'm not objective at all about Bokolo (he is one of my favourite player). He has had workouts with Denver and Dallas.

BTW, I'm still amazed how people can judge a player they barely know. When I don't know a player I STFU instead of speaking from my ass.

[stéphane]

BTW, I'm still amazed how people can judge a player they barely know. When I don't know a player I STFU instead of speaking from my ass.

lol
like they had seen every game they played... :rolleyes
Bokolo would be an awesome pick at 58...
He has all the tools for the nba level. Work ethic, defense and athleticism being the reason why he is a must pick...

[JPB]

Bokolo has progressed pretty well throughout the year, notably on his ball handling and his decision making. At the end of the season, he was playing solid basketball and was taking good care of the ball, which was one of his weaknesses.

I don't totally agree with you mathbzh. He's starting to play as a real PG, creating things and making things happen in offense. He's even starting to be able to finish it to the rim even if he still has to work on it cos he has the speed which could allow him to cause damages in penetrations ala TP.

Also in offense it's true that he has to work on his shot. But he CAN shoot as he proved it in the last WC in Japan where he had good shooting streches.
As a french analyst said, he just has to have one thousand of those every day in practice and he'll developp a more than decent shoot (look at TP progresses).

In defense, I agree what has been said : very active, very fast feet, agressive, hardnosed, ala vintage Gary Payton.

To sum up, I would say he's starting to become a real basketball player and has still room for improvment.

[mathbzh]

I don't totally agree with you mathbzh. He's starting to play as a real PG, creating things and making things happen in offense.

That is true but he is still on the learning curve. He is still not very good to manage the tempo. But it is true he can already make things happen on the offensive end.

[TDMVPDPOY]

are we tryin to turn the spurs into a france team? fuck this.

[Admidave50]

This an article from L’Equipe :

« At 22, it’s time for Yannick Bokolo to go into the draft. But the PG from Le Mans is ranked 74th among the guards eligible in 2007 by ESPN, which gives him just little chance to be selected as one of the 60 players selected by an NBA team. This won’t prevent him from being signed as a « free agent » and he’s currently making a workout with the Nuggets. Yakhouba Diawara was signed like this with this system one year ago, Denver can offer him a 2 year non guaranteed contract (not paid if they decide to not keep him).

There is still the problem of the trade with his former team Le Mans. But MSB general manager says : If he has an opportunity to sign in NBA, there is no question for us to stop him. He got an option in his contract (amount not stipulated) that enables him to leave for the NBA ».

[Marcus Bryant]

Could be worth the #58.

[Marcus Bryant]

Bokolo dunks on Tau (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcK2qTGZ2gE&eurl=)

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Whatever happened to this guy?

[SPURSGOAT]

are we tryin to turn the spurs into a france team? fuck this.

I could easily see the Spurs with 4 French players next season... I can see them going for Pietrus and maybe get another French player from the draft...wouldn't bother me at all as long as they help the Spurs win.

I would be cool with this pick in the second round.

[SPURSGOAT]

Bokolo dunks on Tau (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcK2qTGZ2gE&eurl=)

nice dunk!

[Bruno]

Whatever happened to this guy?

He had a quite disappointing year. He really needs to improve his shoot.

I wouldn't be surprised to see him playing in some summer leagues this year.

[djohn14]

He played on the Cavs summer league last season I think...can he still be in the draft?

[Mr. Body]

Looks like he was in last year's draft and no one took him.

[mathbzh]

He did not really progress for the last few years. He is undersized for a SG and never really adjust to the PG role. His highlights dunks are really impressive thanks to his athletism, but is offensive game is too limited and he is a streaky shooter. That said he is still a very good perimeter defender (one of the best in Europe). I don't know if it could be enough to earn a NBA contract as a defensive specialist.