Next man up: 5 OKC Thunder players that can benefit from Hamidou Diallo’s absence

With Hamidou Diallo expected to miss between four and six weeks due to injury which OKC Thunder players can benefit the most in his absence?

When Hamidou Diallo fell to the court late in the OKC Thunder match versus the Lakers last Saturday the severity of his injury was unclear. Based on his reaction we knew he was in pain and his immediate exit to the locker room while holding his arm hinted it could be more than just a minor tweak.

Prior to the match in Golden State, the team announced Diallo’s hyperextended elbow will keep him out of the lineup a minimum of a month and up to six weeks.

Through five weeks of play in the 2019-20 campaign, Diallo is the wing Billy Donovan has shown the most faith in as a backup to Terrance Ferguson.

Aside from Dennis Schroder and Nerlens Noel, Diallo was the player who consistently played averaging 21.3 minutes per game. Until the injury, the Kentucky alum was providing energy off the bench and was often a secondary defender on the opponent’s top scoring guard or wing.

In his 12 appearances this season, Diallo registered 8.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.

With the certainty Hami will miss a minimum of a month and up to six weeks the question is which player or combination of players will Billy Donovan utilize to pick up the slack in his absence?

There are several options each with pluses and minuses associated. With that, let’s dive into the players who could get tapped to fulfill Diallo’s role.