Why the Memphis Grizzlies should draft Hamidou Diallo

The Memphis Grizzlies need more athleticism and depth from the wings. Could Hamidou Diallo be a second-round target for the Grizzlies?

Hamidou Diallo is a very exciting player. He’s still very young and has the potential to be great in this league. For whatever reason, he is considered a second-round prospect, and the Grizzlies should draft him if he’s there at their second round pick.

He isn’t a good shooter, but he has that raw talent that can make him a succesful player anyway. The Grizzlies have a lot of role-playing guards, and he’s got the potential to be better than most of those guys.

He could go back to college, but he already bypassed the draft last year and I don’t see him doing so again. Kentucky rarely has guys like him stay multiple years even if he would be a second round pick.

Mock Drafts

Last year, Diallo ranged from the late lottery to the early second round. This year, he started out in the top 20, but he lost his draft momentum and has fallen into the second round range.

Nbadraft.net has him even lower. He is slotted in as the 43rd pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in their April 10th mock draft. While Basketball Insiders has him as the 47th pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

ESPN has him at 35 to the Dallas Mavericks. Sports Illustrated has him ranked as the 35th best prospect.

None of those sites has him as a first-round pick, which could lead to him considering to stay at Kentucky. But if he goes pro, there seems like a decent chance as of now that he’ll be there for the Grizzlies’ second round selection.

Breaking Down The Grizzlies Guards

The Memphis Grizzlies have a lot of solid guards on this team. There are many guys that have the potential to play a nice role on this team for the long haul. With Mike Conley getting older and coming off an injury, he may not be the same. They need to get a young star for their backcourt.

Second-round pick Dillon Brooks had an amazing rookie season, and he will fight for a starting job next season. Tyreke Evans played extremely well last season, but he may look elsewhere and try to compete for a championship.

Wayne Selden played well when he was healthy. He’s a really good defender and a capable scorer. He could be the starting shooting guard next season.

MarShon Brooks is an interesting case. He’s been fantastic in his few games with the team this season. He could push for a starting job next season, but his scoring may be better off of the bench.

Andrew Harrison had some good moments this season. He’s still frustrating at times, but he will probably be back in Memphis next year. Veteran point guard Mario Chalmers had his moments too, but it seems like he will be gone.

Ben McLemore is an interesting dilemma. He is a good player, when he’s healthy, but he has been banged up for much of this season — like many players on this team.

This Grizzlies team has many guards that have injury issues and guys who don’t necessarily have a lot of potential. Diallo, with his frame, should come in and be a good defender.

He also has the potential to be a great player which can’t be said about a lot of these guards. There are a lot of solid players on the Grizzlies. Some of these guards will be in Memphis for a long time. Diallo, led by his athleticism, could be better than all of those guys.

Breaking Down Diallo’s Game

Diallo is not a great shooter. The expectation is that he won’t be a good enough 3-point shooter at the next level. He shot 33.8 percent from deep in college, which would be a fine percentage in the nba. But with the 3-point line being deeper, there’s no reason to think he’ll shoot even 30% from deep in the NBA.

Diallo can impact the game in other ways. He’s 6’5” and has a 7’0” wingspan. He has the length to become an elite defender. If he comes in and works hard and buys into the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” mantra in Memphis, he could become one of the best defenders in the league.

His free throw shooting is a bit concerning, but he isn’t a great shooter anyway so I wouldn’t call it a huge concern. If he can work hard and get closer to 70 percent, he’ll be alright.

He did also have more turnovers than assists in college though. As someone who isn’t looking to create for teammates, I wouldn’t be to concerned with that number.