No Splashy Move, No Problem? The Hornets Did the Right Thing at the Center Position

The Charlotte Hornets made a few moves at the trade deadline, none of which directly impacted the role and minutes of Moussa Diabaté. Smart decision on Jeff Peterson's part.

There was some expectation that Peterson would target a potential upgrade at center, which would kick Ryan Kalkbrenner to the No. 3 spot. They did make a last-minute deal to acquire Xavier Tillman Sr., although it’s reasonable to think that he will be placed third on the depth chart behind Diabaté and the rookie.

It would have been a bit of a risk to walk away from the deadline with no extra help, considering PJ Hall is the only other option, who is on a two-way and currently down in the G League with the Greensboro Swarm.

It would have forced the Hornets, if an injury occurred, to play a small-ball lineup, moving Grant Williams to the five and maybe even Tidjane Salaün a little bit. Bringing in Tillman makes sense because it gives the Hornets more playable depth there, while also not taking away the development of Kalkbrenner.

It shows the front office has confidence in him and believes his minutes down the final stretch of the season are more valuable than bringing in someone who likely doesn’t have a long-term future with the team just to absorb the backup role.

There’s a good chance that the former second-round pick never develops into a starting-caliber player, but as long as Moussa is at the helm, they don’t need him to be. They just need quality minutes out of that role where they don’t experience a huge drop-off in play on either end of the floor.

More importantly, I do agree with the decision to not make a move for a starting-caliber center, such as Myles Turner, Jarrett Allen, Daniel Gafford, or Nic Claxton.

Moussa Diabaté has been the perfect fit in the starting lineup with his ability to attack the glass, keep possessions alive, and offer some paint/rim protection. It’s important to keep in mind that he’s still extremely young and is just scratching the surface of the type of player he can be. If he continues to improve and even expand his offensive game, he’ll become one of the top two-way centers in the game a couple of years down the road.

Peterson rightfully addressed the position without disrupting what is working. For that, you have to tip your hat.

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