Kymany Houinsou Scouting Report
A plus-sized PG, with the ability to get downhill effectively, is something NBA teams are looking for. Washington State's Kymany Houinsou fits the bill. Why? Find out below.
NBA franchises are trying to build rosters with the NBA’s switch-heavy schemes in mind. Having your point run by a plus-sized player gives a team various advantages, especially on the defensive end.
Physical Profile
At 6’7”, Kymany Houinsou is a great athlete with a solid first step. Combined with his solid frame, the first thing that stood out was his ability to attack the rim. His ability to absorb contact hasn’t translated to a high free-throw rate, but the base for future improvement is there.
He has gotten stronger during his freshman year at Washington State. An important aspect of his draft profile is that his overall speed and quickness weren’t affected by his bulking up to almost 200 pounds. Together with his solid foot speed and those as mentioned earlier, he has the tools to be able to become a plus-defender at the next level, but he has a few areas to improve which are shown below.
Defense
The first thing that stood out was that Houinsou has the strength to fight through screens, but the screen navigation needs improvement. Instead of sliding between the ball-handler and screener, he allows his opponent to create separation and as a result, gives up open jumpers.
In the play below, Houinsou notices the incoming screen too late but is bailed out by Jones’ pick-and-roll read to move toward the rim so Houinsou can get back to his assignment.
Instead, Houinsou looks more comfortable outside the point of attack. At 6’7”, he can switch to the elbows and corners, and that’s what happened in the play below. After sliding his feet well here, Houinsou fights through the screen much more assertively Although the screen navigation isn’t optimal, he uses his strength and quickness to not allow the ball-handler an open jumper.
The timely block is a result, and I liked his hustle play to go for the ball and avoid the personal foul. With a block rate of 2.7%, he ranks in the PAC-12’s top twenty players as a guard. This aspect of his game should stay consistent throughout this season.
The intriguing part of Houinsou’s defense is that he’s more comfortable guarding in motion offenses. In the play below, Rhode Island fails to feed the backdoor cutter due to Houinsou disrupting the passing lane with his long wingspan.
His screen navigation looks better in this play, especially after it results in him roaming between two players on the perimeter. With a timely contest, the miss rewards his hard work.
We see more motion offenses being run by NBA teams, and together with Houinsou’s long wingspan and athleticism, that’s an area he has the potential to make a difference as a defender.
Combined with his quickness, Houinsou has proven he’s a good defender in transition. What stands out is that Washington State doesn’t keep him near the rim, so he gets back quickly after a miss. The play below is a good example of his thriving on transition defense. An important detail to add is that he’s sticking his chest out before the jump, is not afraid to draw contact, and potentially luring his opponent into an offensive foul.
However, on some occasions, Houinsou’s enthusiasm gets in his way. He tends to over-help on defense, leaving the corner and elbows wide open. On a better-spaced NBA floor, that will cost a team too much defensive rating to grant him consistent minutes.
With the paint below crowded in the play below, Houinsou’s job was to roam outside the paint near the mid or high post and prevent the kickout from the ball-handler driving into the crowded area. Instead, he gives up a wide-open three, leading to biting for the pumpfake.
To consistently stay on an NBA floor, being a good rebounder is crucial, and Houinsou passes the test. His active box-outs are a testimony to his good positioning. In the play below he does well keeping his long arms high, forcing the side pass.
Despite the multiple paint touches, Prairie View doesn’t find a good look, and Houinsou makes a smart move by keeping his opponent outside the pass with the subtle push move. An important detail to add is that he was consistently taking one second to get his teammates set for the semi-transition after collecting the rebound. With 9.3 rebounds per 100 possessions as a freshman, the numbers confirm his consistency as a rebounder.
Offense
On the offensive end, Houinsou’s ability to generate paint touches is the first thing that stood out. Whether it’s with his speed or the use of his big body, getting downhill to collapse the defense is what he has shown consistently.
In the play below, Houinsou takes on his defender in isolation, and with his good handles he lures his defender to reach, whereafter he puts his head down and forces himself to the rim via the right. Instead of the floater-finish, he forces the defense to rotate leaving the elbow wide open for the three-point shot.
In a slower halfcourt offense, making the best decisions is crucial. Houinsou consistently shows two types of executions, being:
Getting downhill to collapse the defense and free up the spot-up shooter;
Hits the roll man after screening actions, who on his turn has to either finish or pass.
In terms of versatility, Houinsou has the potential to do more on offense, but he hasn’t shown it in his freshman year. The play below is a good example. After the horns action, Houinsou hit the roll man while help defense was on its way, instead of the side pass to the elbow for the relocating spot-up shooter.
Executing basic reads like this is a key element of the tasks of an NBA point guard. Being more creative as a playmaker for others is one of the primary goals Houinsou should focus on in his sophomore season.
However, at the next level, he’s going to be asked to play off-ball more often. To that end, Houinsou shows he’s able to make smart plays and seamlessly fit into various sets that are being run. In the play below, Utah Tech gives up a wide-open in the middle, and the lack of communication on their side allows Houinsou to execute after timing his cut well.
A disappointing area of his offense is the lack of using the floater. Houinsou shows he’s a good option in making plays out of closeouts, but shows a lack of multiple finishing options, as he mostly prioritizes the finish at the rim.
The play below is a good example where the paint is packed and the floater finish after one or two dribbles was the better option. Despite getting the two points, going for the higher quality shot is something Houinsou has to focus on in his sophomore season.
Another area of development is Houinsou being more confident in the decisions he’s making when he’s not creating for others. The lack of assertiveness and confidence he is actively showing throughout his freshman season.
The play below is a good example of how you can have three points, but end up only getting a maximum of two. Looking to make the extra pass or action can be a good thing, but passing up on open three-point shots is something that’s not acceptable at the next level, especially if the follow-up is a tough finish like this one.
At 6’7” and with his strength, Washington State also uses him inside the arc more as a roaming player. Despite the mismatch, Houinsou shows his wiggle by shaking his defender out of balance to attack the rim hard.
In a switch-heavy NBA game, it should benefit him as it’s likely that he’s being asked to relocate to certain places on the court and make plays, especially when playing against zone defenses.
With the ball in his hands, Houinsou also shows that he can create plays via post-ups, whether it’s hitting the cutter or going for the finish himself. That’s a big plus in his profile as he actively uses his strength in various scenarios to benefit Washington State’s offense.
I like how he’s making a quick decision to go for the finish himself after the lack of motion from his teammates, giving him no good option for the pass out of the post.
NBA Draft Projection
With almost ten points in forty minutes during his college career, the lack of production isn’t helping his situation. Improving his numbers is a must, together with his screen navigation on defense and his shot selection on offense, which are the main areas of development.
In the long run, Houinsou has to get more confident when making his decisions, as it’s leading to his lack of assertiveness at times, which immediately results in less playing time—almost twenty minutes per game in both seasons.
The physical tools combined with his size are intriguing, especially when taking his playmaking skills into account. Houinsou fits the mold of today’s jumbo guard with his potential versatility on offense and good defense, especially against motion offenses.
I project that Houinsou could be a late first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, as the primary focus as of now should be improving the above-mentioned areas. However, I would like to see him testing the waters in the summer, especially if he’s improved himself during conference play.