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Dec 19, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Knicks Rookie Faces New Challenge After All-Star Break

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jayesh Pagar | Last updated Feb 22, 2026 10:00 AM ET

In‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ the second half of the season, the New York Knicks are going to have a rotation battle, and Mohamed Diawara is directly involved in it.

Having signed Jeremy Sochan to a minimum deal, the Knicks have effectively taken away Diawara's guaranteed role as the team's primary backup power forward.

Coach Mike Brown made it very clear: Sochan will get time on the court, and he has to assess him quickly as the playoffs are ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌coming.

"I'll play young guys, and I have played young guys in front of vets before," Brown said, per the New York Post, before the Knicks' loss to the Detroit Pistons on Feb. 19. "But I'm going to give Jeremy an opportunity. He knows the league. The league knows him. He knows the officials and vice versa. So he's going to get an opportunity. But at the end of the day, I'm going to play who I think is best for us. Right now, Jeremy is new. He hasn't played for us. So I have to see rather quickly what we have in him before going to the playoffs."

During‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ New York's 126-111 defeat to the Pistons at Madison Square Garden, the numbers had started to change even before the game was over.

Diawara only played nine minutes. Sochan had ten minutes on the court, and while a bit of that was during garbage time, it was pretty much clear what the message ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌was.

In the Knicks' comeback win over the Rockets, both Diawara and Sochan logged four minutes of playing time.

A Rookie Who Stayed Ready

New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara David Butler II-Imagn Images

If we look at Diawara, for his part, he isn't panicking.

"I'm just gonna continue what I was doing, keep working and being ready for each opportunity that I'm gonna get," he said. "I'm not worried about that. I know the coaching staff and the team is gonna do whatever is good for the team, and that's what I'm trying to do."

That‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ calmness comes from the work he has already done this season. Selected as the No. 51 pick, he didn't even have a roster spot confirmed at the start of the year

Diawara managed to get significant playing time and exceeded the expectations of his draft position. He scored 5.4 points, grabbed 1.8 rebounds, and made 1.2 three-pointers per game in 14.3 minutes over the last ten games before the Knicks took on Houston.

Diawara understands the reality.

"I'm a rookie, rookie year, first year in the league," he said. "The league, anything can happen, so I'm just gonna take what I have to take and not take anything for granted and just keep working until I'm gonna be that player I want to be."

But according to me, Diawara earned every minute he got this season. Benching a rookie who is shooting 41 percent from three and outperforming his draft slot for a reclamation project feels premature.

Whether‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌ Diawara is given enough time to become that player this season depends completely on what Brown observes from Sochan in the following ‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‍‌weeks.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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