By Guillaume K. | Sports journalist
Recruited by the Hornets in complete anonymity, Moussa Diabaté is making a name for himself in the NBA. Did he expect this when he signed? Obviously, he was quickly given confidence by his trainer.
Among all the young French people currently in the NBA, there is one that no one expected at this level. Indeed, after two complicated first seasons with the Clippers, Moussa Diabaté is rebounding in the best possible way in Charlotte. As the holidays approach, receiving a real contract would be a wonderful gift and a fair reward.
If the Hornets still have difficulty finding consistency in results, he has found his role in a collective focused on attack. He leaves it up to LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges to put on the show, and he’s content to do the dirty work on both ends of the court by defending hard and grabbing as many rebounds as possible.
Moussa Diabaté full of confidence in Charlotte
It is therefore no coincidence that he is compared to a young Dennis Rodman by some fans. With 3.3 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1 block on average, he does not hide his priority on the court. But did he expect to play such a role, to be so successful? This is a question that was asked to him during his visit to beIN Sports ce weekend :
Since I arrived I have been really solid in what I do. So from the first match I started playing. It’s not like I was at 0 minutes, and after the injuries I was playing. Even during the preseason I started playing. So I was already ready. I knew I was going to play this season, even if I didn’t know how long.
I hope my contract will evolve. I try to concentrate on the season, on the matches, so that afterwards the managers come to me. I haven’t really spoken with them about it, but maybe my agent did recently.
The start of Moussa Diabaté’s adventure in Charlotte is excellent, all that’s missing is victories and a real contract guaranteed over several seasons to complete it. What is reassuring is that he is not taking advantage of the various injuries in the squad, since he has felt since day one that he will have a role to play in the rotation. Charles Lee trusts him, and with what he shows, his competitors might have a hard time dislodging him.
Moussa Diabaté has a profile that could appeal to several franchises. If he doesn’t necessarily contribute to scoring, his ability to take offensive rebounds and put up counterattacks makes him a valuable player at the highest level.
