Phoenix Suns: 3 positives from the Cheick Diallo signing
By Adam Noel
Bench relief
One place where Cheick Diallo will help the Phoenix Suns immensely will be providing useful minutes off the bench.
Over his three-year career with the New Orleans Pelicans, Diallo played 133 games, averaging 12.6 minutes per game. Having only started one of those games, Diallo knows what it’s like to be a rotation player.
That will be a huge plus for Phoenix, as the team needs more bodies at the power forward position. At the moment, he’s slated to be third on the depth chart behind Dario Saric and Frank Kaminsky.
Diallo will also serve as a nice complement to the similarities of Saric and Kaminsky. While both can stretch the floor as shooters, they have the tendency to not attack the rim.
On the other hand, Diallo has only attempted four 3-point shots in his career (1-for-4) and his offensive game lies in the paint. Last season, Diallo shot 62 percent from the field and averaged the most points of his career (6.0).
And while Diallo only measures in at 6-foot-9, he has the ability with his athleticism to guard bigger or stronger players. That will make him even more useful should someone in the lineup get injured during the season.