Mar 8, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) looks on during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

NBA analyst reveals he's 'kind of obsessed' with Hornets big Moussa Diabate

Originally posted on Charlotte Hornets on SI
By Zach Roberts | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 8:16 AM ET

The Charlotte Hornets have depleted their center rotation, but that might've been intentional to pave the way for Moussa Diabate (and now Ryan Kalkbrenner since they picked him in the second round) to get more minutes and development. Moving on from Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic was a risk, but one the Hornets seem willing to take.

Last year, Diabate showed flashes of what he could do, which is rebound as well as anyone and defend the basket. What he might do with a huge uptick in minutes remains to be seen, but one NBA analyst really likes him as a player.

Fred Katz said that his most surprising move was the Hornets moving on from Jusuf Nurkic, but he said, "They have Moussa Diabate, who, honestly, I'm kind of obsessed with watching because he is the most fun."

Katz went on, "He's not the best rebounder in the league, but he's the most fun rebounder in the league because he's completely and utterly unhinged. He just absolutely crawls after the basketball and doesn't stop moving, and his feet are insane."

The analyst said Diabate "doesn't care to ever box anybody out," but he still comes down with virtually every rebound. "I think the Hornets were like 11 percentage points better on the offensive boards when he was on the court last year, which is ridiculous. It's absolutely outrageous," he added.

But with that said, he's not sure big minutes for Diabate is a winning recipe, hence the disapproval of the Nurkic trade. "I don't need Moussa Diabate as my 30-minute center, and I don't need Mason Plumlee as my 30-minute center," he concluded. The Hornets did bring back a second-round pick and Collin Sexton for Nurkic, but Katz believes it created too big a hole at the five to be worth it.