DIALLO'S PROGRESS
NBA's most improved player? Here's the case for Hamidou Diallo
Jenni Carlson writes about Hamidou Diallo's improvement this season
Hamidou Diallo drove toward the basket, quickly took contact from a Bucks defender, then decided to pull up for a short jumper with even more defenders coming his way. The shot rattled home. The sequence Sunday night was both savvy and smooth, descriptors you couldn't often use in the
Oklahoma City guard's first couple years in the NBA. Energy was never a problem with Diallo, especially on defense, but offensively, he was more erratic than fluid, more uncertain than sure. Now?
He should be in the conversation for the NBA's most improved player.
Not saying he will win it — have you seen what former Thunder reclamation project Jerami Grant is doing in Detroit? — but Diallo has clearly made the biggest strides on the Thunder roster. And that's no small thing. During a big season in the development of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander,
Lu Dort and Darius Bazley, none have disappointed.
But Diallo has made so much improvement that Thunder general manager Sam Presti may have to think seriously about him being one of the franchise's future building blocks, too.
“I would say the biggest thing is just opportunity,” Diallo said of how he explains the difference between where he is now and where he was a year ago. “Sometimes, when you have opportunity and you have people around you that believe in you, it just makes the game much easier.
“I would say the biggest thing is just opportunity. ... Sometimes, when you have opportunity and you have people around you that believe in you, it just makes the game much easier. I feel like that's what we have built this year, and it's been great.”
Hamidou Diallo, Thunder guard
“I feel like that's what we have built this year, and it's been great.”
Opportunity for Diallo has come, in part, because of the Thunder rebuild. Every returning player has more opportunity than they did a year ago, so yes, Diallo's minutes have gone up. Entering Tuesday night's game against Portland, he's averaging a career-high 23.9 minutes a game, but that's only up slightly from 19.5 minutes a season ago.
His production, on the other hand, has leapt forward.
Points last season: 6.9 per game.
This season: 12.5. Rebounds last season: 3.6. This season: 5.5. Assists last season: 0.8. This season: 2.4.
And the thing is, he's played several games as the Thunder point guard. Rest, injuries and COVID protocols have forced Shai GilgeousAlexander, George Hill and Theo Maledon to miss a combined 22 games this season, and 12 of those absences have been simultaneous, meaning the Thunder has had four games without any of them.
That has pressed others into ballhandling duties, but Diallo has been leaned on more than anyone.
A year ago, such a prospect would've terrified anyone who loves the Thunder. Diallo leading the offense? Initiating plays? Making decisions? The results wouldn't have been great.
But in those four games without any of the Thunder's point guards, Diallo's averages have been better than his season averages. He's scoring more points (13.3), grabbing more rebounds (8.0) and dishing more assists (5.0).
What's more, he's only had seven turnovers combined in those four games.
“It's a really strong point of pride for us organizationally to see him progressing the way he is,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “He's a guy that's committed to the program, and the program is committed to him.”
The Thunder has long been known for its ability to develop young, raw talent into big-time players.
Russell Westbrook. Serge Ibaka. Reggie Jackson. Steven Adams. Andre Roberson. Jerami Grant. Dort.
But Diallo is starting to build a case for the Thunder Player Development Hall of Fame, too.
Lots of credit goes to those who have worked and are working with him.
“A lot of different people in our organization have their fingerprints on his development,” Daigneault said. But …
“The fact that he's continuing to progress and improve and grow is a great credit to him, first and foremost,” Daigneault said. “There's more to happen with him. He's not at his ceiling as a player. He's still got things he can improve on, and we're gonna continue on that trajectory with him.”
Diallo says he likes everything about how his game has evolved over the past year. He believes he started taking great strides during his offseason workouts. He built on his strengths and took confidence in those, but he didn't shy away from areas that needed improvement. Picking his angles. Strengthening his core. Improving his understanding of the game.
He has taken a similar approach with his improvements this season.
“It's just having that balance of knowing that, yeah, you're playing well, but you still have a lot more work to do,” Diallo said. “Just look forward to … keep playing good basketball.”
Good basketball?
Right now, Diallo is playing great basketball.
He's been a project with thermonuclear athleticism. He's been the slam dunk champ. But now, he's becoming something much better — a dynamic but disciplined contributor in the NBA.
Jenni Carlson: Jenni can be reached at 405-475-4125 or jcarlson@oklahoman.com. Like her at facebook.com/ JenniCarlsonOK, follow her at twitter.com/jennicarlson_ok, and support her work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.