HAS Charlottea Frenchman is becoming more and more talked about and it is not Tidjane Salaün, who was the 6th choice in the last Draft, but rather Moussa Diabatéonly holder of a “two-way contract”.
Without Mark Williams or Nick Richards, there were minutes to be had in the paint of the Hornets and the young tricolor interior benefits from it. Having come into play every evening since the restart (3.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 16 minutes), he has gone up a notch in three games (5.3 points, 13.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 27 minutes), with especially three outings in over 10 rebounds and his first career “double-double”.
“ It's a blessing and I'm just happy to have the opportunity to show what I can do » reacted the 22-year-old, despite the defeat in Orlando. “ I'm very happy that the coach trusts me and I have to continue doing what I'm doing. »
In other words, bring all your “ energy » under the signs as soon as it comes into play: “ That's the most important thing. It all starts with energy. This is how I play and this is the only way I can play. So I have to bring my energy to the team and be this energizer who can help. »
He knew how to seduce his coach and his teammates
Having become the Hornets' first rotation in the paint, Moussa Diabaté is relishing this opportunity to show off in North Carolina, after two seasons of being content with crumbs with the Clippers but nevertheless shining in the G-League.
“ He was phenomenal » enjoyed Charles Leehis coach, last night. “ Sometimes I even have to remind myself that he's only in a two-way contract and that I need to calm down a little. But he learns things phenomenally and his competitiveness is very contagious. Guys love it when all of a sudden he's grabbing offensive rebounds and blocking shots. It nourishes our team in so many ways. »
A few days ago, after a victory against Indiana, Charles Lee was already very complimentary towards Moussa Diabaté who, even without scoring, was capable of making an impact thanks to his sole presence on the rebound and in defense.
“ After every game I talk a lot, but one of the things I ended with was, 'How do you make an impact without scoring points?' » the former Celtics assistant then said. “ I'm super proud of him and his efforts. I'm proud that he's not obsessed with statistics and scoring. He does the dirty work and you need these guys who can fill that role.. »
| Moussa Diabate | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2022-23 | LAKE | 22 | 9 | 51.1 | 50.0 | 62.5 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 2.7 |
| 2023-24 | LAKE | 11 | 6 | 52.6 | 0.0 | 64.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 2.6 |
| 2024-25 | CHA | 10 | 14 | 57.1 | 0.0 | 37.5 | 2.3 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 2.7 |
| Total | 43 | 9 | 52.9 | 50.0 | 57.9 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 3.2 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 2.7 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
