Story by
Mitchell Robinson Urges Knicks to Play Mohamed Diawara More
- Story by
- Mitchell Robinson Urges Knicks to Play Mohamed Diawara More
Forward Mohamed Diawara is heading into his sophomore season with the New York Knicks and the first year of a new four-year contract he signed with the Knicks earlier this offseason, which itself is an endorsement of Diawara in the Knicks' eyes.
But Diawara could do so much, and one of his former teammates even went so far as to plead for the Knicks to give Diawara more playing time during a recent interview.
Advertisement
On an episode of "Knicks Fan TV," Boston Celtics forward Mitchell Robinson gave Diawara his vote of approval and used the platform to implore the Knicks, Robinson's own former team, to use Diawara more often on the court to see what the young small forward can do.
San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper (2) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) and center Mitchell Robinson (23) and forward Mohamed Diawara (51) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Robinson Speaks Up
"He needs more minutes," Robinson said. "Defensively, nobody can really get around him. he reminds me very much of Frank Ntilikina; long arms sitting down, moving his feet, it's very similar in that aspect... His time will come, but he definitely needs to be on that court."
Robinson's endorsement does say a lot about what Diawara could be capable of, but Robinson's concerns about Diawara's playing time says even more about not only Diawara's own capabilities, but the state of the Knicks' bench.
New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) reacts after making a three point basket during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Madison Square Garden. Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Diawara played in 69 games for the Knicks last season, starting in seven, but played just 9.2 minutes per game. In that time, Diawara rarely had the chance to show off the true depth of his potential and consequently averaged just 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game.
Advertisement
But even with the hard number averages not saying much, the peripherals reveal what kind if player Diawara can be.
Milwaukee Bucks guard Cam Thomas (24) shoots against New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Michael McLoone-Imagn Images
Diawara's Potential
He posted a 55% true shooting percentage last season, which still sits in the low range as far as big men go, but shows that Diawara has the skill to climb even higher and considering the low sample size, Diawara's numbers would likely shoot up with more usage.
The Knicks are strapped as far as depth goes, as their preseason opener against the Philadelphia 76ers revealed, so investing in Diawara's growth and development is also an investment in the Knicks' overall strength as a team.
New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) controls the ball against Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen (16) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Diawara is still projected to be somewhat buried on the depth chart behind centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond as well as forward OG Anunoby, but between the numbers, and Robinson's endorsement, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that Diawara should be far more involved on the floor than he currently is.
Advertisement
Preseason is one way that the Knicks can experiment with involving Diawara more often on the floor, but as the regular season itself progresses, their could be more of an expectation to see the young forward getting active.
