There is a Diakite stan account on Twitter. He cut up the G League and apparently has vastly improved since college.

Other than being a downer last night showed once again that there are often some talented guys at the end of NBA benches.

Zion scored 38 last night against a depleted Mavs team on 20 field goals and 18 fts.

Also, Harrison Barnes hit a heck of a shot to win their game last night.

I am gutted about Mitch.

No question Obi deserves to sit right now. He will get absolutely torched by the Heat tomorrow night – Spoelstra will go after him mercilessly. Not that Knox is any great shakes on defense, but he’s better than Obi.

Anyone hear anything about Randle? Back on Monday or out longer? And Bullock?

I have a hard time getting too upset about the aesthetics of the win though. Jordan Nwora is a good shooter, but some of those shots were heavily contested that he was hitting. Thanasis hitting 4/5 with people draped all over him, etc. Plus all these 2nd stringers on the Bucks playing this game like it’s game 7. (I do like that Diakite guy – he looks like he has some talent!)

Also, when we talk about playing “injury decimated” teams, we rarely take into account our own injuries. Playing without 2 starters (and having another go out in the first few minutes) is a big deal – it forces all kinds of lineup combinations that are unexpected and unpracticed. Then add in the zone for the whole game – it’s not that surprising.

btw put me down for Gorgui Dieng. Assuming Drummond goes to the Lakers, my assumption is the major competition is going to be the Celtics, who have just the BAE left to give (and are also in the luxury tax, so it’ll cost them 1.5x the salary in luxury cap $ too, although I’m not sure how much that actually is for a late season signing with the break teams are getting on the tax this pandemic year). We can certainly offer way more than the Celtics.

That said, are we looking for a 1st big, 2nd big, or 3rd big? Would be hard to sit Taj and Noel down, so I wonder whether we are looking for a break glass in case of emergency player or what. If it’s a 3rd big, you have to wonder whether Dieng would be up for that (I assume he’d be a second big on the Celts, with Tacko Fall and Luke Kornet being sent to purgatory).

Tell you what – it WOULD be very interesting to see RJ play with a floor spacing 5.

Dieng is not a bad idea. He added the 3-point shot to his game and can reasonably stretch the floor a bit more. Not bad defensively and, when in Minny, he was a fierce rebounder. Plus he’s familiar to Thibs, Taj and D-Rose. If not Drummond, why not him?

Dewayne Dedmon is another option, but I don’t know his current situation. Many people were suprised he wasn’t signed during free agency.

🙂
Once again that the Knicks latest pick overshadows the early one and shows flashes of grandeur! ;-P