Thunder End of the Year Report Card: Mamadi Diakite

Mamadi Diakite had a short stint with the Thunder, but when he did play he made strides in his progression.

Mamadi Diakite wasn’t in Oklahoma City for long, but his time was intriguing.

Diakite, a second year center from Virginia, has a short track record in the league despite being two seasons in. Playing with the Bucks in 2020-21 and the Thunder this season, the center has yet to play more than 15 games in a season. In his career he’s played 27 combined contests.

Diakite provided some depth help at the center position in the 13 games he played in Oklahoma City, but even then his impact was limited. 

Overall grade: C

Soobum Im / USA TODAY Sports

When a player only sticks around for 13 games it’s hard for him to earn a grade any higher than a C, simply because of minimal sample size.

Diakite got an opportunity to make waves in the league, but the it was minimal due to the Thunder roster at that point in the season.

It was simply too difficult for Diakite to carve out a large enough role with the team and he eventually was let go.

Offense: C

Alonzo Adams / USA Today

He only played in 13 games, but in those contests Diakite played nearly 15 minutes per outing. While doing so he scored 4.3 points per game.

Diakite did shoot the ball well, much like he did in his collegiate days at Virginia, despite most of his shots coming in the paint near the rim. He took nearly four shots per game while shooting 53.2% from the field.

Diakite, while on a short-term stint, provided valuable depth at a position where the Thunder had little depth. He did struggle from the free throw line shooting a mere 54.5%. 

Defense: C

Kelley L Cox/USA TODAY Sports

Diakite has the size to be a steady interior defender standing at 6-foot-9. During his time with the organization, he was strong on the glass grabbing 4.5 rebounds per game.

Diakite also powered the Thunder with 0.7 blocks per game, which helped him defend the post on the interior, driving guards and big men alike.

It wasn’t a long stint for Diakite, but when he did play for OKC he filled the role he needed to. 

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