Top 10 of his vintage?
Of this 2023 draft, we will especially remember that it was that of “Wemby”, this player who arrived straight from France and whom all of America was waiting for. His number one place in the draft remains undisputed a year and a half later, given his Martian performances. No player from the 2023 vintage can look Wemby in the eye. Literally and figuratively. Toumani Camara is far from the standards of the Spurs pivot, but we are not asking him to be at that level.
And if we compare the stats of the Brussels resident with his 2023 draft companions, Toumani has nothing to be ashamed of. There are quite a few players who are playing at another level. Like Brandon Miller (2nd in the draft), Bilal Coulibaly (7th), Gradey Dick, (13th), Jordan Hawkins (14th), or even Keyonte George (16th), and GG Jackson (45th). A squad of 6 players behind “Wemby”, of which Toumani is not, for the moment, part of. But with his 9.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists on average per game, he is undeniably in the chasing pack. A group where we could cite Dereck Lively, Jaime Jaquez, Brandin Pozieminski, Jalen Wilson, Trayce Jackson Davis, Amen Thompsson. There’s Scoot Henderson, too. This player selected in third position by the Blazers last year and who presents stats barely better than his Belgian teammate selected 49 places further (10.8 points, 5.1 assists and 2.7 rebounds).
Toumani Camara is eager to start his second NBA season: “I want to be one of the best defenders in the league”
The 6th longest playing time
There are the statistics of points, assists and rebounds which are a barometer to measure the efficiency and progress of a player, then there are the minutes played per game. And in this little game, Toumani Camara is in a good position. Among his 59 other companions in the 2023 draft, he is the one who has, since the start of the season, the 6th most playing time, with more than 30 minutes per game (30.4). Last year, he was in 12th place in his category, that of rookies. Even if this statistic must be put into perspective given that Toumani is not in a team that plays leading roles, which allows him to get more playing time.
The numbers, therefore, drive the NBA. But there are also some less palpable areas. Like the defensive impact, one of the great qualities of the former Dayton man. A sector in which he is undoubtedly one of the strongest in his class, just behind Victor Wembanyama, as his coach confided after integrating him into his starting five last season. “I needed more athletic presence in defense and rebounding because we were a little short in that area. Holder or not, I know that ‘Tou’ will always give the maximum and will remain the same by bringing a lot of energy. “
From the cellar to the floor, Toumani Camara had a nice comeback, which may not be over.
