Moussa Diabate's growth has been pivotal for the Charlotte Hornets

Coming into the season, the center rotation for the Charlotte Hornets was a heavy question mark.

The room consisted of three uncertainties. Mason Plumlee was the only seasoned veteran in the room, Ryan Kalkbrenner was a rookie second-round selection, and Moussa Diabate was entering his first year on a standard NBA deal.

Prior to the beginning of the season, it was still unclear as to who would eventually start at center for the Hornets. After a battle in the preseason, Ryan Kalkbrenner ended up winning the starting job, and has started every single game he has been available for.

It came as a surpise, as it seemed that Moussa Diabate would earn the starting spot. Diabate was the only member of the room that was on the Hornets last season, and at one point beat out Mark Williams to earn the starting center position.

A rescinded deal, as well as a trade for Jusuf Nurkic hurt both Moussa's starting and rotational minutes, and he found himself back on the bench in the back half of 2024-25. Across his first year with the Hornets, Diabate averaged 5.7 points and 6.2 rebounds, both career highs.

Despite being the backup big man, Moussa has received a career high 22.8 minutes per game this season. He's also nearly doubled his scoring average, putting up double-digits in scoring for the first time in his young NBA career at 10.3. He's also recording career highs in field goal percentage (67.9%), rebounds (7.9), assists (1.1), and blocks (1.5).

“I think I’ve definitely gotten better,” Diabaté said after Saturday night's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. “A lot of it just comes from the experience of playing in real NBA games. Getting those reps helps you understand the spacing, know where your spots are, and what to get to when you get there. At the end of the day, that’s what builds confidence to shoot the ball.”

Not only is Moussa now more confident in the system Charles Lee has put together, he is also confident in his own game. It's an important progression for the young big, as he notes that the more he plays the more comfortable he becomes, and it's what made him such an important piece to the Hornets this season.

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