Scouting Report: Cheick Diallo

Name: Cheick Diallo DOB: 9/13/1996 (19) School: Kansas

Height: 6’9 Weight: 218 Projected Position: PF/C

Wingspan: 7’4.5 Standing Reach: 8’11.5

2015-16 Stats:

3.0 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.3 spg, 0.9 bpg, 0.6 tpg (7.5 minutes per game)

56.9 FG%, 55.6 FT%, 57.2 TS%, 56.9 eFG%

21.7 USG%, 10.5 ORB%, 27.0 DREB%, 19.4 TRB%, 11.9 BLK%

SKILLS & ATHLETIC BREAKDOWN

Offense

Post Offense

Diallo didn’t get a chance to show much of what he may be capable of this past season, and even if he did, his offensive game is still very limited. Diallo does a good job getting low and using his body to seal off a defender, setting a good target, and will battle much stronger defenders for position. As said, his move-set is limited at this point, mostly revolving around shooting a quick turnaround jumper, or facing up and looking to drive by his man or shooting the short/mid-range jumper. Diallo has shown, in places other than his quick Kansas career, the ability to make a quick move into the lane and shoot a short hook, though with mixed results. His touch around the basket can vary, but he has shown some improvement over the past few years. Diallo’s footwork looks to be average-to-above-average, but again, he didn’t get the chance to show much, and the addition of secondary moves is still a distant hope. What Diallo does well is get into his moves quickly, hoping to catch a defender off-guard, and using his agility to get to the basket. He’s not a very good ballhandler, but also does a good job recognizing this for the most part, and limiting the amount he puts the ball on the floor. Also, Diallo either doesn’t have very good hands, or he has lapses in focus, as he tends to fumble what seem to be easily caught passes. Diallo can be a good option in pick-and-roll sets, opening up well, using long strides to get to the rim, and finishing strong, though he didn’t get the opportunity to show it last season. He did have some chances in pick-and-pop situations, and it could be an area where he becomes strong, eventually, at the NBA level, as he has shown some decent shooting ability in the mid-range area, and any fixes he needs to make to his shot aren’t major. Diallo has shown very little as a passer, no matter where he is on the floor, and he seems content on just making his move once he gets the ball.

Perimeter Shooting

Diallo has shown some ability as a mid-range shooter, and it should be an area he becomes more comfortable in as he develops. He gets into his shooting motion quickly off the catch, and shows a fairly smooth motion and release, with the occasional fade-away for no real reason. With his length and high release, it’s tough to alter his shot, and he seems to go a good job of keeping a consistent motion even when defenders are closing on him. Diallo is a good mid-range shooting option either facing up out of the post, spotting up, or in pick-and-pop situations, especially since his motion and release seem quick enough to get his shot off before the defense recovers to him. While he hasn’t shown real three-point range yet, there’s no reason to believe based on his mid-range came that he won’t be able to develop the range at some point, even if not a major part of his game.

Free Throw Shooting

Diallo is not a very good free throw shooter, though he has the tools to improve, and his very low free throw shooting percentage may be a result of a small sample more than any shooting problems. He has a consistent routine, motion, and release, but his motion has some small hesitations through it, leading to a very flat shot. Also, the spacing of his feet on his free throws seems off, affecting his base as goes into his motion. Though Diallo didn’t get a lot of touches last season, he did a decent job drawing fouls (46.6 free throw rate), often due to his frantic style of play on the offensive end, combined with his physical/athletic skills. Diallo has shown some ability as a mid-range shooter, so I wouldn’t be surprised if his free throw shooting percentage rises quickly if he makes those tweaks to his form and motion.

More from Hoops Habit

Defense

Post Defense/Help Defense

Like a lot of the young forwards in this draft, Diallo has the tools to be a good post defender, but limited minutes against high-level competition make it difficult to assess where he really is. Diallo positions himself well between his man and the basket, but he has a tendency to stand up straight and play high, making it easy for him to be backed down. In exchange for giving up position easily, Diallo hopes to alter or block a shot attempt with the added leverage, but it will be much tougher to do at the NBA level, and he should learn to use his lower body more. His footwork is good though, and he anticipates well, but getting backed down can get him off-balance unless he leans on his man. At times, Diallo also tries to use his length to deny post-entry passes, which has had some success. Diallo has shown good awareness, and can be a very good help defender around the basket. Diallo has a lot of potential as a shot blocker, showing great extension and timing, quick leaping ability, and the ability to block shots with either hand well. Also, he does a good job not falling easily for shot fakes to get drawn in the air, knowing he has the reaction time to adjust. Diallo can be a good pick-and-roll defender, hedging well on the ballhandler, moving his feet well, and getting wide to contain, but he often stays far too long with the ballhandler, and is slow to recover to his man or who is left open after the defense rotates.

Perimeter Defense (On/Off Ball)

Diallo has some skill and a lot of potential as a perimeter defender, but it still seems like he has a lot of adjusting to do to deal with NBA size and speed. On the ball, his positioning is good, and he shows good lateral movement, if a bit slow, but he has a tendency to start backpedaling from the start, leaving a lot of space for a quick jumper, or getting caught off-balance by a change of direction. He does show good speed and reaction time for his size, even if he seems unsure of what he’s doing. Off the ball, Diallo moves fairly well, and though he doesn’t look to take away passing lanes, his length can be a deterrent. He shows good awareness in tracking his man and the ball, and he is quick to react to get over to the lane if needed to protect the rim. Diallo needs to not fall so easily for shot fakes, as he gets drawn in the air easily, leaving him open to picking up a foul or getting beat.

Rebounding

Diallo has the potential to be a force on both the offensive and defensive boards, showing great energy and instincts to go with his length and agility. On the offensive boards, Diallo is very active, tracking the ball well, showing good timing, and using his long arms well to grab the miss or keep it alive until he or a teammate can get to it. He needs to do a better job going right back up with the ball in traffic, but should do better with it as he gets stronger. On the defensive end, Diallo does a decent job looking to box out, he could be more consistent, and goes strong after the ball. Where Diallo will really impress as a defensive rebounder is his outlet pass ability. He does a great job scanning the floor quickly and throwing strong passes down the floor to get the offense out quickly.

Transition

Diallo runs the floor very well for his size, with the ability to get out in front of the defense, run one of the wings, or even push the ball himself, though not really recommended. With his length and athletic ability, Diallo can get the ball up high and finish in one quick move, and if his dribbles are limited he can even attack from the wing. Diallo also has the ability to make an impact in transition defense, showing the hustle to try and get back quickly, and being able to make up ground to try and alter or block a shot from behind, even if he seems to be out of the play.

Intangibles/Summary

There’s really not all that much you can say about a guy who averaged just over 7 minutes per game in his one year of college, but this is what the draft looks like now. Yes, the NCAA investigation in the beginning of the year did set Diallo back a bit, but even when he was with the team, he never had the opportunity to show much. What does stand out are a lot of things know about him coming into college; he’s very raw, but plays with a lot of energy, and he has the physical ability, including a 7’4 wingspan, to make a difference on the defensive end. Diallo’s offense is very limited, with just a few basic post moves and the beginnings of a decent mid-range jumper. He does run the floor very well for his size, and his ability to get out in transition should get him some scoring opportunities. Diallo’s energy and length can help him make an impact on both the offensive and defensive boards. Defensively, Diallo is as raw as on the offensive end, relying more on instinct and his physical ability than skill, but he has showed some continual improvement. He can name a difference as a shot blocker, showing a great combination of timing and ability to make shooting over him a chore. Diallo also looks like he will eventually be a good defender in the pick-and-roll, but the nuances of his job aren’t there yet. Diallo handled the NCAA issues well in the beginning of the year, and word is that he is very coachable, but his development is so far behind, it’s tough to gauge when he would be ready to make any kind of impact at the NBA level; his development may come quickly with NBA coaching, or if it takes some time, he may never make any significant impact.

Draft Value: Mid-Late First Round – #16-24

Even calling Diallo a project is being a bit kind, but I can see how his length and energy will draw teams into thinking they can turn him into a good NBA role player. It could happen, especially if he embraces those attributes which the NBA teams like. In the mid to late first round, the risk is probably worth it, especially for teams which can take time to get his development on-track.

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