NBA Draft: Hamidou Diallo rolled the dice and lost
Skills:
Most of Hamidou Diallo’s pluses come with an asterisk because of his offensive issues. The potential is there if he dedicates himself to grow his overall game.
Isolating on what he does well is all tied to his defensive ability and his overall athleticism.
Diallo suits an up tempo game where he can excel with his speed in the open court. He is able to draw fouls via his aggression, but needs to improve his free throw percentage to take full advantage of this skill.
Improvements to his defensive game were witnessed over the course of his season in Kentucky. This isn’t that surprising given his wing span and commitment on that side of the hardwood.
Like many in this draft Diallo is a player who falls in the risk-reward category. His physical attributes are unquestionable, but whether he can address the many issues in his offensive game remain to be seen.
Weaknesses:
The irony is if Diallo hadn’t returned to school he would likely have been a first round pick in last season’s draft. Remember that insanely deep draft? One year later and all the quirks and flaws in his game were exposed via the microscope which follows Kentucky.
His shot needs some major tweaks and he’ll require ample time with the development coaches wherever he lands. This isn’t isolated to consistency, but his actual mechanics. Diallo’s release point is a major issue. For example, the video above highlights his propensity to pull the ball down prior to shooting.
Moreover, he fails to deliver at the free throw line which historically points to issues from the field and the ability to stretch shots further out to the perimeter. Because of this its unreasonable to project him as a potential 3-and-D player.
Furthermore, his ability to work in the paint is also suspect (although he draws ample fouls) simply because if he isn’t dunking he has trouble getting buckets.
Nor has Diallo been able to extend other aspects of his offensive game to include any prowess in ball handling or distributing.
For as much as he’s demonstrated an ability to be a plus defender he hasn’t been able to translate his athleticism into any offensive benefits. This begs questions about his basketball I.Q. and whether he’ll be able to grow in this area.