Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 goals for Hamidou Diallo’s rookie season

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Hamidou Diallo #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: Hamidou Diallo #22 of the Oklahoma City Thunder poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. Give the Thunder quality minutes

The Thunder have had bench problems for the past two seasons. There just hasn’t been much help when the starting lineup goes out of the game. OKC added Dennis Schroder, who will help greatly in that area, but help will have to come from other players as well.

Hamidou Diallo can come in and be an efficient player with his ability to get open off the ball by cutting to the basket and shooting the occasional spot-up 3 when the opportunity arises.

In Summer League, Diallo shot 49.0 percent from the field on 41 shot attempts and averaged 10.8 points per game. Efficiency was a problem for the Thunder in terms of hitting shots last year. Diallo may not greatly impact this, but he can help.

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His length and athleticism will be similar to Jerami Grant, who has the same build but is a little taller. Grant is a good slasher and gets spot-up opportunities. Diallo will have to be that same kind of player, and focus on working hard on the defensive end — his biggest strength — to carve out quality minutes for the Thunder.