No matter what, guys that played for Tony Bennett are going to be fundamentally sound on defense. Malcolm Brogdon is a great example.
Diakite has a longer wing span than Giannis... think about that. He’s 6’9” with a 7’3.5” wingspan (Giannis is just 7’3”). He’s Clint Capela... and that’s not a bad thing.
@Music City posted:Diakite has a longer wing span than Giannis... think about that. He’s 6’9” with a 7’3.5” wingspan (Giannis is just 7’3”). He’s Clint Capela... and that’s not a bad thing.
He was 7 for 14 from 3 in the G league. He was 20 for 55 from 3 in college. He shoots 75% from the line.
Capela has attempted 2 3s in his career and shoots 53% from the line in his career.
Diakite is a much better offensive guy in a 3 and D role than Capela (who gives you no spacing at all).
The knock on him out of Virginia was that he was very weak in terms of ballhandling or passing. Basically, he was a walking turnover as soon as he was was forced to put the ball on the floor or pass. He was also already 24 years old.
https://www.peachtreehoops.com...ginia-video-analysis
But if he can shoot 35% from 3, he's more playable against small-ball lineups than Lopez.
I think he needs to see some minutes. His quickness and athleticism is sorely needed and his length should allow him to close out on switches and contest shots. I also think he can help them in terms of rebounding with the second unit. He’s a good compliment to Portis. BP can take on more of a scoring role, and Diakite can be more of a defensive presence.