Nobody expected the New York Knicks to add an immediate-impact player in the 2025 NBA Draft. The team did not have a first round pick and was coming off of its first Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 25 years. Their only selection was in the 51st overall slot, where they took 20-year-old French forward Mohamed Diawara. In just a couple of months, Diawara has gone from rookie reserve to spot starter, potentially making him one of the biggest steals of the draft. He just had 18 points on perfect 4-of-4 shooting on 3-point attempts against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.
Diawara's ascension in Knicks' rotation continues
The Knicks' new head coach has made clear that when a starter is going to miss a game, he likes to keep as many of the team's "units" together as possible. Momentarily elevating someone from the team's second unit to the starting lineup would disrupt that bench lineup on top of the starters. Giving spot starts to end-of-rotation reserves, or even those who don't typically play, allows the coach to keep at least one group together.
After going with Pacôme Dadiet for these purposes in the team's preseason play, Brown went to veteran sharpshooter Landry Shamet when games truly began to matter. Once Shamet suffered an unfortunate injury to the same shoulder that kept him sidelined for a portion of last season, Brown went back to experimenting.
He seems to have landed on Diawara, whose length and athleticism give him a solid floor to build on when he's putting both to work. The rookie played significantly less than any other Knick starter on Monday, with the other four playing at least 30 minutes each. Diawara played just 18 minutes, but made them count.
He had 18 points, one rebound, and two steals without any turnovers or fouls. That's not typical of a rookie. His accuracy and efficiency was arguably most impressive, though. He made seven of nine shots overall, which included sinking all four of his 3-pointers.
If the rookie keeps this up when he's given these opportunities, he might just earn a regular spot in the rotation. Brown is no stranger to rewarding players who prove they deserve it, with fans loving every second of Tyler Kolek's rise from sure-to-be-traded depth on the bench to a hero on two major stages: the NBA Cup Championship against the Spurs and Christmas Day against the Cavaliers.
Diawara's previous career-high was five points. He had already reached the mark four different times thus far, but never a single point more. It might take him a while to match his new best of 18, but at this rate? He might just beat it next week.