A lot of work to be done still on Hamidou Diallo
When the Portland Trailblazers started being approached by multiple teams about Grant Williams, the Blazers were of the mindset that they would acquire future assets - primarily a first round pick - for the young, undersized forward.
And then the Kings offered Hamidou Diallo.
The 22 year old player who is set to enter his third season so far hasn't lived up to the billing of his lofty draft slot - #10 overall by the Utah Jazz two years ago. At the time, the book on him was:
Diallo supposedly offers aggressive scoring, handles and capable defense. We put these to the test with a few scouting trips to see the young star. Diallo indeed has strong handles and potential to develop into a capable defender. He is likely to be quite aggressive from day 1 offensively, he won't shoot 20 times, but he'll launch his share of jumpers. Offensively, is where we see a challenge with Diallo though. He loves to shoot above the break threes but his ability to make them is very questionable. We see him as somebody who will shoot a lot from there but not make a high %. Scouts doubt if he ever manages 35% from three on high volume attempts. That's not good, considering his mid-range game is poor and his post game is rare. If you are considering him, looks like you'll be drafting a good (but not great) overall player who will struggle with efficiency throughout his career.
Diallo is coming into the league with the ability to handle the rock and score in and around the paint. He's a power guard that should be able to get to the lane at will. While he's not a plus defender, the upside is there.
Hamidou Diallo's sophomore season hasn't been what Kentucky fans were hoping for. Fans who frequently watch can see the talent of a Donovan Mitchell-esque slasher with CSL All-Star potential, but inconsistency with his perimeter shot and discipline playing defense have plagued the youngster. In a rare down year for the Wildcats, where only him and Wenyen Gabriel feel comfortable going pro, all eyes are on the freakishly athletic Diallo to produce. Will he rise to the challenge, or get quickly overshadowed by next year's star-studded recruiting class?
The old-school Jestorball heads in Portland's front office, the ones who have followed the eponymous GM throughout his entire pro basketball career, immediately fell in love with the younger Diallo's absolutely jaw-dropping handles and clamored for a closer look. The scouting department obliged, and the team liked what it saw - leading to the Blazers acquiring their second Diallo this offseason.Strengths:
- good ball handler
- solid finisher in the paint
- great on the ball defender
- will win a slam dunk contest
- will average over a steal per game
Weaknesses:
- needs to work on drawing contact
- lacks ability to hit above the break 3s
- needs work on getting his teammates involved
- Needs to tone down the aggressiveness?
Best Case Scenario: Donovan Mitchell
Worst Case Scenario: Out of the league in 4 seasons
Current Ratings: 3/10
Potential Ratings: 9/10
Potential Defense: 8/10
Potential Offense: 7/10
Intangibles: 6/10
A bit of new school was flashed at the press conference announcing the trade. GM Jestor put up Diallo the Younger's shot chart from this past season:
"Obviously, he's designed to be a slasher, but is still far too much in love with the 3 point shot. He never got the instruction he needed in Utah to train him up, but the Sacramento Kings started work on getting him to that. They focused on taking away his propensity to shoot above the break and teaching him how to bully his way into the post. We'll continue that work here - it may take a couple seasons - but he'll get there.
We also see how he complements our other perimeter players:
Jalen Brunson's shot chart reveals quality 3 point shooting all around the arc, and he's comfortable above the break.
We're also acquiring Nassir Little in a future three-way trade that you all know about:
He really struggled with his shot last season and has throughout his CSL career. Previous GMs (Lakers after me, Knicks) have turned him into a corner and post shooter, which might not be the best option for him, considering his low percentages at the rim. Becoming a pure corner specialist might be his best choice, though he did shoot quite well above the break at the dead-center zone, and his preferences perhaps might have been better left alone?
The Lakers GM (andrei) made a remark once that Nassir was best in a Perimeter scheme from 3, and struggled mightily when put in a Post offense. We will be utilizing the same Balanced approach we did in the playoffs for now and will see how it goes.
Either way, we're presently envisioning the following future arrangement:
Brunson - Shoots from all areas - 3, midrange, post
Diallo - Slashing specialist
Little - Corner 3? - Small sample size last year
Birutis - Post only, baby
Obviously this season we'll have the benefit of Nikola Mirotic as a stretch 4, but will look for a similar player to eventually supplant him - possibly as soon as next year, but maybe 3 or 4 seasons down the road if we opt to retain him for a while longer yet. There's still a lot to go through and figure out."
The GM went on to say that this season's available instruction time will be spent primarily, if not exclusively, on Diallo the Younger.
"Right now, he's got to be our primary focus. The potential is there for him to be a key starter and we'll give him every opportunity to be so. We're good with Brunson and Birutis looking at last season's numbers, so that's two starters addressed. Little we're taking a wait and see approach on. Obviously we don't have our PF of the future yet."
Still, what a difference an offseason makes. The Blazers have gone from:
PG Jalen Brunson (24)
SG Marcus Smart (30)
SF Joe Ingles (31)
PF Nikola Mirotic (29)
CE Walter Tavares (33) - After Jestor took over
to:
PG Jalen Brunson (25 - Projected)
SG Hamidou Diallo (21)
SF Nassir Little (20 - Projected)
PF Nikola Mirotic (30)
CE Laurynas Birutis (24)
From an aging lineup with a small competitive window to a young lineup whose best days are ahead of them. Some observers have predicted this is a team that can challenge for the playoffs next season still to get some more postseason seasoning for the young guys not named Birutis (who already has a championship ring on his resume).
More importantly, they were able to make this changeover without sacrificing future assets or picks or damaging their financial position. Though the Marcus Smart for Laurynas Birutis trade was panned in many quarters, it netted a young, burgeoning star center and opened space for Hamidou Diallo to step into the lineup and develop chemistry with the rest of the core.
As for Grant Williams?
"He's 6'7 and a power forward. End of story," said an anonymous Blazers official.
2020, 2023, 2027
