What is Moussa Diabate's potential in the Charlotte Hornets offense?

It's been nearly a decade, but I still remember the ending to Game of Thrones every now and then and get angry.

Some of the best television ever, with season four still being my favorite season of television. I sat down and was immersed in Westeros for an hour, hearing about who has the rightful claim to the Iron Throne, or the fear that the White Walkers are coming.

Yet, sadly, it feels as if it was all for nothing.

In the final episode of the show, however, one line stuck out to me. Peter Dinklage's character, Tyrion, is a part of a circle trying to figure out who should sit on the throne. In the midst of his speech, he utters the line: "There's nothing more powerful than a good story." While in the show, it made for an extremely irritating ending, it's a valid claim. Everybody loves a good story.

What are some good stories in sports? Well of course there is Tom Brady, who went from pick 199 in the NFL Draft to the greatest player to play the sport. There's Michael Jordan's flu game, where he scored 38 points in Game Five of the NBA Finals over the Utah Jazz. There's the Miracle on Ice, where US amateurs were able to take down the USSR in the Olympics.

Stories make sports.

One story that's caught the attention of many around the NBA world recently has been within the Charlotte Hornets, where center Moussa Diabate has begun to make a name for himself.

Diabate was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the second round out of Michigan in 2022. He played in 33 games over his two years with the Clips, primarily spending time with the team's G-League squad.

In July 2024, Diabate left the Clippers, signing a two-way deal with the Charlotte Hornets. The team had two talented centers in Nick Richards and Mark Williams at the time, making Moussa's chances to receive steady minutes an upward battle.

After two impressive double-doubles in November, the French center started to catch the attention of many. In January, the team dealt Nick Richards to the Phoenix Suns, giving the backup center position to Diabate full-time. He continued to impress, so much so that starting center Mark Williams was dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers to allow Moussa to start.

Shortly after Williams was dealt, Diabate received a three-year, standard NBA deal. The very next night, he recorded a career high 21 points and added 10 rebounds.

The Williams deal was rescinded, and the team dealt for center Jusuf Nurkic, pushing Diabate back down in the rotation again. During the offseason, however, the team traded both of these centers, clearing the minutes pathway once again.

It's become evident that, despite drafting a center in Ryan Kalkbrenner, the team was moving forward with Diabate at center. It begins to beg the question: what is his potential if the offense begins to come around?

We've seen what Moussa does as a starter. In his final two starts, he averaged 18.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, and a block. He now gets a full offseason to train as the team's starting center and will now see a healthy LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.

Moussa also showed flashes of potentially working on a jumpshot, which could transform his game. He currently works in the paint, rarely stepping foot outside. If he's able to add a perimeter game, it can draw the opposing team's center out of the paint, giving other offensive players more open runs to the paint.

While still undersized, Moussa's athleticism gives him the ability to keep up with other big men. It was reported at the NBA's Draft Combine that Diabate has a 2.7 body fat percentage. For reference, in 1973, Arnold Schwarzenegger won Mr. Olympia with a body fat percentage of around 8%. It's that low.

Moussa Diabate has the ability to develop into a strong starting center in today's NBA. With a three-point development and more fans potentially seeing him play with a better Hornets' squad, Diabate could start to become a well-known name around the league.

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