Charlotte Hornets roundtable: Can Moussa Diabate hold down the starting center spot?

If there's one glaring weakness on the Charlotte Hornets' roster, it's the center position. They traded away former first-round pick Mark Williams to the Phoenix Suns and dealt veteran Jusuf Nurkic to the Utah Jazz in a deal that netted Collin Sexton.

It appears the front office (and coaching staff) have high expectations for Moussa Diabate, but is he a starting-caliber center in the NBA? That's what our team discusses in this week's Charlotte Hornets On SI roundtable.

Zach Roberts

It depends. Whether or not Moussa Diabate can be a starting five depends on if he’s improved. Defensively and on the glass, he’s good enough to start despite being undersized (though even then, big minutes might not be wise). On offense, based on what we saw last year, he’s better suited to a reserve role. But maybe with four good offensive players around him in the lineup, the Hornets can get by with him starting.

Ryan Stano

Until Diabate improves the overall effectiveness of his offensive arsenal, the Hornets are better off using him off the bench. He isn't strong enough to punish players in the post at will, and he doesn't have any jump shot to speak of. No one wants to hear it, but Mason Plumlee is better off starting and playing 20 minutes a game while Diabate continues to develop off the bench.

Owen O'Connor

Yes. In 8 games as a starter last season, Moussa averaged 7.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists. While the stats don’t jump out, in his final two starts, he averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and a block. With a full offseason training as the starting center, and LaMelo/Brandon back in the picture, it’s fair to say that Moussa absolutely can be a starting center in this league.

Matt Alquiza

On a good team? No chance. On a small, developmental team like Charlotte that needs someone like Diabate to soak up minutes? Sure. Diabate is best utilized as an energy big off the bench that can change games with his relentless motor. As a starter, he’ll struggle to impact games in long stretches due to his lack of height and strength. He deserves a chance to start on this team—he earned it—but he should be relegated to a bench role when the Hornets become serious about winning.

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