Analyst Has Kind Words For Knicks Draft Pick

The New York Knicks are welcoming Mohamed Diawara to the organization after selecting him with the No. 51 overall pick in the NBA Draft.

Diawara, 20, is a Paris native who played this past season for Cholet Basket in LNB Pro A, France's highest basketball league.

NBA Draft analyst Eric Guilleminault evaluated Diawara, and believes he has potential to blossom into an NBA player someday.

"Diawara brings elite physical tools, defensive versatility, and valuable experience as a starter for Cholet and France’s U20 gold medal team," Guilleminault wrote.

"He is the type of role-accepting, switchable forward NBA teams value, with flashes of ball-handling and passing that hint at long-term upside. While his scoring and shooting are still developing, his motor, basketball IQ, and defensive flexibility should allow him to contribute off the bench. He is likely to be selected in the second round and has a chance to exceed expectations if his jumper becomes more reliable and he adds strength."

Ultimately, Diawara was chosen large in part due to his ideal size on the wing and his above-average defending despite being only 20 years old.

"Defensively, he’s the most intriguing, often tasked with guarding the opposing primary ball-handler for France’s U20 team and thrives as a disruptive, switchable defender," Guilleminault wrote.

"Covers positions 2 through 4 comfortably and competes when switched onto 1s and 5s … High awareness off the ball, routinely tags rollers, rotates early, and breaks up lobs with his length and anticipation."

The offensive part of Diawara's game is what will need improvement, but if he can find a way to shoot 3-pointers with ease, he could have a long career in the NBA as a 3-and-D specialist. If not, his time in the NBA could be short.