Why Mohamed Diawara's Start to Knicks' Preseason Was So Exciting

It’s difficult to remember the last time a Knick tallying eight points with no assists registered so much as a blip on the club’s radar.

Given where the team left off last year, where they hope to end this year and the drama and difficulties surrounding the second apron, you can forgive the team and their fans if Mohamed Diawara’s efforts in last night’s preseason opener seemed more buzz-worthy than usual.

Mohamed Diawara's preseason opener showed a ton of promise for Knicks

Monday night offered a striking example of what the youngster can bring to the table when it's all clicking. On the second slide of the above Instagram post, you can see that Diawara is in a flow state with the offense, screening for others, popping open after the screen, attacking the closeout and using his length and athleticism to finish a tough shot at the rim.

The final slide above shows Diawara racing down the court for a transition stuff of Kentavious Caldewell-Pope. With Mitchell Robinson up in Boston, the only Knick regular who might make a similar play would be Anunoby. Expand that list to the entire roster and Diawara is the only other candidate to pull that off. That might be the greatest contribution he can make to this year’s title defense: simply being available for it.

Diawara is a bit of an Energizer Bunny when he plays, seemingly never at rest unless he’s about to spring into action. On the offensive end, that means he’s usually cutting or setting screens, two actions that don’t require him having the ball.

On a team that features the offensive firepower New York does, Diawara’s selflessness isn’t merely a luxury, it’s a necessity. The Knicks’ bench brigade is made up of very different players who do very different things, but one thing they all have in common is they aren’t hung up on touches.

That means when Diawara enters a game, he fits in with his team’s system. He knows what they want from him, and he knows what they don’t want from him. But entering Year 2, it's about Diawara applying this knowledge and his exciting skills to make an actual difference. Monday was a step in that promising direction.

The Knicks enjoy more continuity than most teams, and not just because their starters have been together for nearly 200 games. They have a bench that knows its role and sticks to it. Diawara might help build up or enhance what the Knicks are looking to do, especially post-title. A player with upside who stays within himself is manna from heaven for an over-the-cap team with few avenues to upgrade the roster.

The biggest reason recent champions have failed to repeat is injuries. The Thunder might have done so last year if not for Jalen Williams’ absence in the Western conference finals. The Celtics were about to go down 3-1 to the Knicks when Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles. The 2023 Warriors were without Steph Curry for 26 games and Andrew Wiggins for 45.

The Knicks were arguably the league’s best defense last season from January through June, despite playing two starters who will never sniff any honors on that end of the court in KAT and Brunson. That’s because everyone else who plays for them is a defender, first and foremost.

This shows itself at the wing between OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. Anunoby has been fairly reliable the past couple of seasons, but historically he’s no ironman. Hart is playing with a finger that will eventually require career-ending surgery. Bridges is an ironman, but only till he’s not.

Last season, all three played fewer minutes than the year before. The Knicks best chance of repeating requires their best players being healthy and fresh for their biggest games. Diawara appears ready to claim more minutes. The more he plays from October to April, the more likely Wingstop will be ready to roll come May and June.

Get Knicks On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google