Hamidou Diallo was the fourth Kentucky Wildcat to go in Thursday night’s NBA Draft. Diallo was selected 45th overall by the Brooklyn Nets. However, he was then traded to the Charlotte Hornets.
Details on the trade have yet to be released but Diallo will indeed join former Wildcat Malik Monk in Charlotte.
Projected as a late first rounder last summer, Diallo’s stock certainly took a hit following a “down” season at Kentucky.
Diallo averaged 10 points and 3.6 rebounds in 37 games for the Kentucky Wildcats.
The athletic guard opted out of last year’s draft to return for a full season at Kentucky. With much hype coming in to the season, Diallo posted rather disappointing results. It was like a rollercoaster where he’d have a solid stretch of leading the team in scoring, however would be almost invisible for another stretch.
With that being said, his athleticism is off the charts and it’s no secret how hard of a worker he is.
Looking at the Hornets’ depth chart, Diallo will have his work cut out for him. The Hornets are expected to have Jeremy Lamb, Kemba Walker, Malik Monk and Nicolas Batum on roster next season. While Diallo is unquestionably the best athlete, he’s unfortunately the worst shooter of the bunch.
In a shooter’s league, it will probably take some time before Diallo consistently sees the hardwood.
However, Calipari is on record that Diallo has one of the best work ethics he’s ever seen.
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