Fans of the New York Knicks haven’t been the only ones who are impressed with Mohamed Diawara. Kevin O’Connor, a credible NBA insider, was seen on Twitter praising the 20-year-old. After contrasting the rookie's 3-point percentages from overseas to the NBA, O’Connor added that New York can proudly claim they got the steal of the second round if Diawara’s success from beyond the arc continues. That's high praise for the 51st overall pick.
Diawara certainly didn’t wake up one morning as an elite sniper from a distance. He spent long hours in the gym, worked with coaches to fix his mechanics, and discovered what he was missing through repetition.
Is Mohamed Diawara for real? 39.8% from 3 this season after only 28% on 2.2 3s per game last year in Cholet. If this development is real, the Knicks have the steal of the second round. https://t.co/vmDiIC8lud pic.twitter.com/Imqd2tR6kV
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnor) March 3, 2026
Credit must also go to the Knicks’ front office. They saw something special in him late in the draft, maybe the hardest place to find NBA talent, and took a risk that the fanbase might forever be thankful for.
Kevin O’Connor is right to deem Diawara as the best second-round find
Mohamed Diawara’s 3-point excellence is nothing short of special. This has been on display throughout the regular season and he took the league by storm during Sunday’s win versus the San Antonio Spurs.
But the rest of his game? It deserves attention, too. It also played a major role in convincing Kevin O’Connor how legit he is.
Over the New York Knicks’ last nine games, Diawara has played in eight, averaging 7.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 14.5 minutes. He's shot 43.2% from the floor overall, but an impressive 41.2% from 3-point land.
He’s been rock solid, all things considered. Outside of launching the basketball from the perimeter, he's also shown flashes of slashing, playmaking, timely cutting, effective screen-setting, and glass-cleaning.
The French native's impact in New York is even more impressive, considering he is a rookie. In the same stretch as mentioned earlier, he has posted the second-best net rating at 19.6 among Knicks players who have played at least 10 minutes per game.
Diawara looks like a certified winning player on both sides of the basketball, and after taking every aspect about him into account, O’Connor hit the bullseye with his bold take.
It’s time to give the Knicks props for doing their homework on a prospect that has done wonders as of late and is showing no signs of slowing down.