Hamidou Diallo compares to a couple of former OKC Thunder players, and it should get fans excited.
Hamidou Diallo had an interesting path to the NBA, but now he is finally here. Diallo got fans excited when he displayed his skill sets in the NBA Summer League. After being drafted by Brooklyn, traded to Charolette, and then shipped off to Oklahoma City the question becomes what should fans expect?
The 6’5 wing from Kentucky inked a 3-year deal with the Thunder earlier this offseason. So who does Diallo compare to at the next level? Surprisingly a pair of players with OKC Thunder ties.
Victor Oladipo.
The 6’4 shooting guard now lacing up for the Indiana Pacers was of course once a part of the Thunder organization. In his one season with OKC, Oladipo turned in 15-points on 44-percent shooting from the field. From three-point land he shot 36-percent. It is important to note the minutes Oladipo logged in OKC. Getting 33-minutes per game is extremely unrealistic for Diallo this season, and will cause his numbers to suffer in comparison to Victor Oladipo.
However, flashback to Victor Oladipo’s rookie campaign with the Orlando Magic. Oladipo saw 31-minutes per game which is still likely an unobtainable number for Diallo this season. However, around 13-points per game give-or-take on 41-percent shooting is not unrealistic for the explosive 20-year-old from Kentucky.
Oladipo is not the only player Diallo compares to with Thunder ties.
Jerami Grant
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Jerami Grant is a little taller, and a tad more versatile than Hamidou Diallo. However, the two are a lot alike in the sense that for the time being, Diallo will simply be a “Glue guy.” As Grant hopes to take another step up, Diallo can replace his old role along the wing. In Grant’s first year with the Thunder he logged 19-minutes and scored just 5-points-per-game. However, for those who watched the team night in and night out, they knew his impact was greater than his basic statline indicates.
Even a year ago, when Grant was one of the most improved OKC Thunder players, he turned in just 8-points-per-game but fans who watched knew his true worth. Like Grant, Diallo likely will not grab nation wide attention but for the Thunder fan base, he will be beloved for the little things.
At Kentucky, Hamidou Diallo posted 10-points in 24-minutes per game. He shot 42-percent from the field and just 33-percent from a shortened three-point line. Diallo will never light it up from deep, but his insane hops, amazing athleticism, and explosiveness will allow him to be a solid scorer.
Giving predictions and comparisons for rotation pieces in OKC Thunder is extremely hard to do. Billy Donovan never finds a rotation and sits with it, he constantly mixes and matches guys here-and-there. The raw numbers might not be there for Diallo in 2018 due to the context, but those are the style of guys he could turn into.