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NBA Mock Draft 2016: New Year’s Resolutions

By Maxwell Ogden

Dec 25, 2015; Honolulu, HI, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) flashes a "shaka" sign after the game against the Harvard Crimson at the Stan Sheriff Center. Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Harvard Crimson 83-71. Hield was named MVP of the tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 25, 2015; Honolulu, HI, USA; Oklahoma Sooners guard Buddy Hield (24) flashes a "shaka" sign after the game against the Harvard Crimson at the Stan Sheriff Center. Oklahoma Sooners defeated the Harvard Crimson 83-71. Hield was named MVP of the tournament. Mandatory Credit: Marco Garcia-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 1, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Cheick Diallo (13) dunks the ball against the Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 94-61. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 1, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Cheick Diallo (13) dunks the ball against the Loyola-Maryland Greyhounds in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 94-61. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports /

12. Cheick Diallo, Kansas Jayhawks

Position: Power Forward

Age: 19

Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’9″, 220 pounds, 7’4″

Slash Line: .576/.000/.688

Season Averages: 10.1 MPG, 6.1 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.0 BPG

New Year’s Resolution: Earn Playing Time

With every passing NBA Draft, a player comes along whose potential is far too extraordinary to ignore. It’s often a combination of size and athleticism that takes the NBA crowd by storm, and that’s the case with Kansas Jayhawks freshman Cheick Diallo.

There isn’t much of an established sample size, but Diallo has the potential to be one of the best players in this draft class.

Diallo’s physical gifts are intriguing at 6’9″ with a strong 220-pound frame and a 7’4″ wingspan. He has a 9’1″ standing reach—the same as Chris Bosh, who’s 6’11″—and is an explosive leaper who runs the floor well and finishes above the rim.

The knock on Diallo is simple and clear: he’s unpolished. There’s identifiable upside on both ends, and he’s already turning heads as a shot-blocker, but the skills that he has in place are incomplete and not yet ready to be utilized in the NBA.

In order to better display what he’s immediately capable of, Diallo must first earn more playing time in 2016—something that has been negatively impacted by his delayed eligibility.

Next: Overlooked and Under-Appreciated