The New York Knicks cannot even begin to replace OG Anunoby while he’s on the shelf nursing a left hamstring strain. They do, however, need to fill his minutes in the rotation. And that could, perhaps should, lead them to try out rookie Mohamed Diawara.
Turning to a 20-year-old just taken with the No. 51 pick isn’t going to solve all—or even any—of New York’s issues. But the sheer lack of secondary wings could leave head coach Mike Brown with little choice.
After Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, the Knicks do not have another proven wing on the roster. There is Diawara, and then there’s sophomore Pacome Dadiet, who’s apparently already lower on the depth chart than his first-year counterpart. That’s it.
Yes, New York will find workarounds. Dual-big lineups lower the number of wings needed while also fortifying lineups that skew smaller on the perimeter. The Knicks will lean on those tinier arrangements during one-big stretches, too—particularly so long as Landry Shamet remains a human flame-thrower with a try-hard demeanor on defense.
This will still only get them so far. New York’s defense has cratered whenever Anunoby is off the floor. That isn’t changing. It stands to get worse in the games Mitchell Robinson winds up sitting out. Experimenting with players who offer more defensive flexibility, even if only for short bursts, should be an organizational mandate over the next few weeks.
Mohamed Diawara brings plenty of defensive intrigue
Standing 6’9”, with a 7’5” wingspan, Diawara fits the defensive-versatility motif. Coming out of the draft, he even drew comparisons to OG Anunoby himself.
Diawara has the athleticism to get up and down the floor, knows how to use his length, and has the coordinated footwork necessary to hang with players of all sizes in space. Calling him an eventual five-position defender goes a touch too far. But if you watch him for even a few minutes during the most unflattering of stretches, you’ll see the outline of someone who can rumble with virtually anyone at the 1 through 4 spots.
The Knicks will be giving back plenty on the offensive end if the rookie gets any court time. Diawara is pretty fluid on the ball, but has no jumper of which to speak.
This isn’t a big deal. New York can tether his minutes to Karl-Anthony Towns-at-the-5 pockets, which is when it’ll need the most defensive help anyway.
The Knicks need to know what they have in Diawara
More than this is about Diawara solving anything, it’s about the Knicks actually understanding the importance of player development amid title-contention aspirations. They failed miserably at getting their youngsters game action last year. So far, this season isn’t much better.
Kolek and Ariel Hukporti have already been scrapped from the rotation after some early bites at the apple. Frankly, I’m not even sure Brown knows Dadiet’s name.
It’s hard to fault him or the Knicks at large. None of their kids have made a compelling case for minutes. But what’s the point of having Diawara on the roster if you’re not going to at least loosely explore his fit and utility?
The same can be said for Kolek, Dadiet, and Hukporti. Right now, though, they aren’t what New York needs. The theory of Diawara is more valuable to a team missing Anunoby.
Whether the Knicks are prepared to test out that theory is a different story.