Somewhat quietly, Mohamed Diawara has already logged more minutes in his first season than Pacome Dadiet did during his entire rookie campaign in 2024-25. What’s more, the No. 51 pick from June’s draft isn’t done reaching new milestones.
If you needed any more proof that the New York Knicks are dramatically different under head coach Mike Brown, well, there you have it. He is not just baking in stylistic changes. Nor is he merely expanding the rotation, or just generally experimenting.
Brown and the Knicks are now, officially, juggling player development along with their title aspirations. And the team is going to be much better off because of it—both now, and later.
Mohamed Diawara is steadily climbing the ranks of previous Knicks rookies
After rather easily usurping Dadiet’s rookie usage, Diawara is coming for Tyler Kolek. The latter racked up just 296 minutes during his rookie season last year.
Diawara isn’t stopping here, either.
Brown has inserted him into the opening five while Josh Hart recovers from a sprained right ankle. As a result, the 20-year-old is now the first Knicks rookie since Quentin Grimes in 2021-22 to start more than one game. Depending on how much more time Hart misses, Diawara could be New York’s first newbie since RJ Barrett in 2019-20 to start more than six games.
This seems like a small deal on the surface. It’s not. The Knicks are investing real, meaningful reps in Diawara. He has rewarded them, for the most part, by constantly running, by working his tail off on defense, and perhaps most importantly, by downing 7-of-12 three-point attempts (58.3 percent) in his starts since Hart’s injury.
Not all of the Diawara minutes are pretty. He is young, inexperienced, and relative to the assignments he must cover on defense, often overmatched. But it says a lot that fans were wondering why he didn’t play more during the Knicks’ New Year’s Eve loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks are going to benefit from this in a big way
Write off what Diawara has shown in less-than-modest playing time thus far if you’re so inclined. He may no longer be in the rotation once Hart returns, or if the Knicks acquire another wing by the trade deadline.
Yet, he also has a case to continue getting spot reps for his defensive versatility and effort alone. If he’s going to hit open threes as well, he could become undeniable.
More critically, Diawara is not the only developmental victory taking place. The Dadiet ship has sailed, if not actually capsized. But Tyler Kolek may have given the Knicks their secondary point guard of the future. Meanwhile, Kevin McCullar Jr. may force New York to make a trade sooner rather than later so that they can convert him to a standard contract before April.
All of these guys may not end up being hits. That’s okay. Connecting on even one of them is a major boon for a team that will be staring the second apron and its roster-building restrictions dead in the face as early as next season.
Capable cost-controlled talent are among the catalysts for extended title windows. It’s too early to say the Knicks have found theirs. But if the way they’re bringing along Diawara is any indication, they’re determined to change that.