New York Knicks small forward OG Anunoby should miss the remainder of November with a strained groin.
While he's out, head coach Mike Brown could utilize more players in the nightly rotation. That means the last members of the bench, including youngsters Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara.
This year is Dadiet's sophomore season in the NBA, but Diawara, a rookie, has seen slightly more playing time. After the Knicks' 113-11 win on Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks, Brown told reporters, including the New York Post's Stefan Bondy, that he'd like to find more time on the court for Diawara.
“I would’ve loved to play Mo out there a little longer,” Brown told Bondy after the victory over the Mavericks. “Mo has done a great job in short minutes he played and to try to get him some minutes during this time of year, especially while OG is out, to keep us long and athletic would be ideal. And I’m going to keep searching to try to do it.”
Diawara compared to the Pacers' Pascal Siakam
Due to his size and athleticism, Diawara has been compared to the Indiana Pacers' Pascal Siakam.
If the 6-foot-9 Frenchman can develop into half the player Siakam is on the offensive side of the ball, the Knicks will likely view that as a win in their books.
Because of Diawara's limited minutes, he has not been able to showcase his shooting abilities fully, but he did impress in the Vegas Summer League.
The Knicks selected Diawara 51st overall in this past summer's draft. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 27 games last year in the French League for Cholet Basket.
More Knicks news:
- Knicks head coach Mike Brown delivering on offseason promise early in season
- Knicks' Josh Hart treats himself to midgame snack in win against Mavericks
- Knicks’ head coach Mike Brown addresses team’s lackluster defense