The New York Knicks just learned that Mohamed Diawara is way more important than anyone realized. They just got blown out by the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, losing 110-97, and only two guys were a positive plus/minus: Diawara and Jordan Clarkson. And without many realizing it, Diawara may have become the Knicks’ most important wing/forward off the bench.
Clarkson’s positive plus/minus largely came from his red-hot shooting night, but that’s the deal with him. He’s streaky. Rolling with Jose Alvarado and Miles McBride makes more sense. But with Diawara, it’s different. He was a positive plus/minus despite shooting poorly. And New York doesn’t exactly have a surplus of forwards and wings off the bench.
Diawara might legitimately be a part of New York’s playoff rotation.
Mohamed Diawara might be part of the Knicks' playoff rotation
On Sunday against the Lakers, Diawara finished the game with four points and two assists. He shot just 1-of-4 from the field and 0-of-3 from deep range. He still was a +1 on the day.
That might not seem like much. A +1 isn’t amazing. But considering the Lakers beat the Knicks by 13 points (and almost no one else was a positive), that’s something.
New York doesn’t have a ton of forward depth off the bench. In fact, they don’t even have much wing depth off the bench. That’s where Diawara comes in.
The Knicks rookie is more than just a potential threat from the three-point line. He’s made strides from there, but he’s not exactly the reliable three-point shooter most teams would want coming off their bench.
However, he’s a legitimate menace on the defensive end. He’s a guy who can come into the game, guard the best opposing player for a few minutes, and hold up.
That’s the type of player New York should want on the floor in big moments. The hustle guy. The defensive-minded guy. The guy willing to do whatever it takes to win.
Mitchell Robinson and McBride will be huge bench pieces in the postseason. Alvarado and Landry Shamet seem like good bets to be right behind them. But none of those players are forwards.
Again, that’s where Diawara comes in. He has a real chance to be in the Knicks’ playoff rotation, and Sunday’s game against the Lakers, however unfortunate, helped prove that.
It may not be the way many people saw this season going, especially considering how low of a draft pick Diawara was, but it’s the new reality of the situation.