Mohamed Diawara is back on a multiyear contract, and now the Knicks have to answer the real question: can the 21-year-old forward handle regular rotation minutes, or is he still just a guy who pops up in scattered spots?
That’s the next step in his development, and it matters more than another round of optimism. Diawara played 69 games as a rookie, but his role stayed tiny - 9.2 minutes and 3.6 points per game.
He did knock down 36.9 percent of his threes, which is a solid sign for a second-round pick. It just doesn’t prove he’s ready for a major role.
The Knicks should find out in camp, not wait around for injuries to create an opening.
The case for Diawara is obvious enough. At 6-foot-9, he gives New York a forward who can stretch the floor, something that has value for a team with expensive starters and little room to chase more veteran help.
But the harder part is whether he can hold up defensively and make quick decisions once opponents stop treating him like the last name on the scouting report. That’s the kind of thing the first few preseason games can reveal better than another month of potential talk.
There is also real competition on the wing and in the frontcourt. Bruce Brown signed a camp deal earlier this month, and his roster spot is not secure.
Diawara’s situation is different because the Knicks re-signed him to a multiyear deal, which should earn him a longer look. Still, a contract doesn’t hand him minutes.
He has to win them.
The timing is tight. Knicks media day is Monday, training camp opens Tuesday, and there isn’t much runway before preseason begins.
That makes the early tests important. The team needs to figure out who can survive a normal bench shift, and Diawara should be part of that evaluation right away.
He doesn’t need a huge workload to make the contract look worthwhile. A steady stretch with real rotation players would tell the Knicks plenty.
Let him defend his spot, let him take the open threes, and then see what sticks. If the shot holds and he can survive on the other end, New York may have found a cheaper way to build depth.
If not, the team will at least know exactly what still needs work.
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