The Cheick Diallo Problem

I’m sure there is also some level of concern as to why he isn’t getting minutes as well, seing as Self hasn’t had a problem playing freshmen like Wiggins, Embiid & even Selden big minutes in recent years. #FreeDiallo persists…

I’m sure there is also some level of concern as to why he isn’t getting minutes as well, seing as Self hasn’t had a problem playing freshmen like Wiggins, Embiid & even Selden big minutes in recent years. #FreeDiallo persists…

 it no longer is #FreeDiallo… it is #ComeOnDoSomethingDiallo.

KU has ALL of the pieces needed to win a national championship this year (since there is no dominate team like last year). The only potential hole in their roster is an athletic power forward to play next to the "Brian Cook-esqe" Perry Ellis.

Diallo was a shoe in for starting PF, or at the very least, split time at PF with Traylor.

For the second year in a row- the high energy, tough, athletic, McDonalds All American, freshman power forward has failed to produce on the court.

I love my Jayhawks, but their lack of toughness scares me come March.

 it no longer is #FreeDiallo… it is #ComeOnDoSomethingDiallo.

KU has ALL of the pieces needed to win a national championship this year (since there is no dominate team like last year). The only potential hole in their roster is an athletic power forward to play next to the "Brian Cook-esqe" Perry Ellis.

Diallo was a shoe in for starting PF, or at the very least, split time at PF with Traylor.

For the second year in a row- the high energy, tough, athletic, McDonalds All American, freshman power forward has failed to produce on the court.

I love my Jayhawks, but their lack of toughness scares me come March.

 Nowadays, the expectation is that guys like diallo with big-time reputations coming out of hs will automatically come in, tear it up for one season in college and than be lottery picks. Those who pegged diallo as a one and done and lottery pick coming into the season were creating extremely unrealistic expectations. The guy is still just learning how to play basketball and plus he is even further behind because he wasn’t eligible to play the first month of the season. We’ve seen similar cases of unrealistic hype the past few seasons with guys like Thomas robinson, Chris  Walker, etc.

What I hate now is that diallo probably automatically gets lumped into the "disappointment" category just like those guys. However, for those who saw diallo play in high school, it was very clear that he was a project. There was nothing about his game that suggested he would be an instant impact player and lottery pick after one year. Considering he is playing for probably the deepest overall team in America, the fact that be is not getting significant mins should not be a surprise. I wouldn’t say diallo has been a disappointment at all this year, even though that’s what the narrative will likely be. Hes about right where I expected him to be.

 Nowadays, the expectation is that guys like diallo with big-time reputations coming out of hs will automatically come in, tear it up for one season in college and than be lottery picks. Those who pegged diallo as a one and done and lottery pick coming into the season were creating extremely unrealistic expectations. The guy is still just learning how to play basketball and plus he is even further behind because he wasn’t eligible to play the first month of the season. We’ve seen similar cases of unrealistic hype the past few seasons with guys like Thomas robinson, Chris  Walker, etc.

What I hate now is that diallo probably automatically gets lumped into the "disappointment" category just like those guys. However, for those who saw diallo play in high school, it was very clear that he was a project. There was nothing about his game that suggested he would be an instant impact player and lottery pick after one year. Considering he is playing for probably the deepest overall team in America, the fact that be is not getting significant mins should not be a surprise. I wouldn’t say diallo has been a disappointment at all this year, even though that’s what the narrative will likely be. Hes about right where I expected him to be.

When on the court, Diallo has the highest usage percentage of any Jayhawk. His decision making, and feel for the college game are very much a work in progress. It’s not his game to launch 18 footers, or attempted a difficult fade away while being pushed off the block. It’s not like he had never gotten a chance to play, he’s slowly lost out on minutes to the rotation of Kansas’ very deep front court.

What he does well, that is encouraging, is play with high energy, and guard the rim. I don’t know why raw big men coming out of high school who have yet to play against high level competition rocket up draft boards entering their freshmen years in college, but it’s not a new trend.

I liken Diallo to Ed Davis, and I feel his pro outlook is about the same. He can be a solid rotation big, or potential starter, that can play many years in the league, but I just don’t feel his potential is that of a star. His foundation on his jumper is good enough, that I feel, in a few years, he can be a legit pick and pop threat. Bulk and polish is what this kid needs, but I don’t think he’s getting shorted at Kansas. He just makes too many mistakes, and takes to many bad shots to play in a close game when you have the options of rock solid NCAA veterans. I do think he’ll improve from now until May, but I hope he comes back to Lawrence to hone his game for another season.

When on the court, Diallo has the highest usage percentage of any Jayhawk. His decision making, and feel for the college game are very much a work in progress. It’s not his game to launch 18 footers, or attempted a difficult fade away while being pushed off the block. It’s not like he had never gotten a chance to play, he’s slowly lost out on minutes to the rotation of Kansas’ very deep front court.

What he does well, that is encouraging, is play with high energy, and guard the rim. I don’t know why raw big men coming out of high school who have yet to play against high level competition rocket up draft boards entering their freshmen years in college, but it’s not a new trend.

I liken Diallo to Ed Davis, and I feel his pro outlook is about the same. He can be a solid rotation big, or potential starter, that can play many years in the league, but I just don’t feel his potential is that of a star. His foundation on his jumper is good enough, that I feel, in a few years, he can be a legit pick and pop threat. Bulk and polish is what this kid needs, but I don’t think he’s getting shorted at Kansas. He just makes too many mistakes, and takes to many bad shots to play in a close game when you have the options of rock solid NCAA veterans. I do think he’ll improve from now until May, but I hope he comes back to Lawrence to hone his game for another season.

 Early mock drafts create unrealistic expectations.  They are not the gospel.  They are not the reflection of a player’s actual stock.  They are a reflection of a person’s opinion and often times that opinion is not expert, nor is it based on the thoughts of the people who actually make the draft decisions.

I personally think that projecting players who are not locks to be one and done to be one and done’s is doing these kids a disservice.  I’m sure these kids and their families check up on their "stock" every once in a while, again creating unrealistic expectations and relying on the opinion of people who are neither expert nor "plugged in."  It can create an imaginary narrative like in this case, Diallo "falling," when he probably should not have been projected as a 1 and done in the first place given how raw he is and his team’s situation.  If he’s not a 1&D, so what?  I won’t think any less of him and neither should you.  There is nothing wrong with kids developing before they make the leap. That’s the way it should be.  From an NBA exec standpoint, with the salary cap the way it is, rookie contracts are golden.  If you can have a valuable rotation player during that rookie contract, that is a bargain and provides way more value to the team as opposed to paying the kid to learn fundamentals and sit.

 Early mock drafts create unrealistic expectations.  They are not the gospel.  They are not the reflection of a player’s actual stock.  They are a reflection of a person’s opinion and often times that opinion is not expert, nor is it based on the thoughts of the people who actually make the draft decisions.

I personally think that projecting players who are not locks to be one and done to be one and done’s is doing these kids a disservice.  I’m sure these kids and their families check up on their "stock" every once in a while, again creating unrealistic expectations and relying on the opinion of people who are neither expert nor "plugged in."  It can create an imaginary narrative like in this case, Diallo "falling," when he probably should not have been projected as a 1 and done in the first place given how raw he is and his team’s situation.  If he’s not a 1&D, so what?  I won’t think any less of him and neither should you.  There is nothing wrong with kids developing before they make the leap. That’s the way it should be.  From an NBA exec standpoint, with the salary cap the way it is, rookie contracts are golden.  If you can have a valuable rotation player during that rookie contract, that is a bargain and provides way more value to the team as opposed to paying the kid to learn fundamentals and sit.

At the Hoop Summit, the only players who stood out more than Chieck Diallo were Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, Skal, and to be fair, Luke Kennard.

 Diallo was much more impressive than Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Allonzo Trier, etc. He looked to be, at worst, Tristan Thompson. He hustled more than anyone else, he was extremely aggressive attacking the rim, and played with more tenacity than anyone else on the floor. He showed good hands and definitely had a nose for the ball. 

I don’t see him being a No. 1 option or a superstar, but I can see eventually being an absolute pain in the neck to compete against at the pro level. 

At the Hoop Summit, the only players who stood out more than Chieck Diallo were Ben Simmons, Jamal Murray, Skal, and to be fair, Luke Kennard.

 Diallo was much more impressive than Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Allonzo Trier, etc. He looked to be, at worst, Tristan Thompson. He hustled more than anyone else, he was extremely aggressive attacking the rim, and played with more tenacity than anyone else on the floor. He showed good hands and definitely had a nose for the ball. 

I don’t see him being a No. 1 option or a superstar, but I can see eventually being an absolute pain in the neck to compete against at the pro level. 

Amazing that players still choose Kansas if they have dreams of being a 1-and-done…

Not Bill Self’s style. Go to Kentucky if you want that. Self doesn’t give freshmen minutes 

Amazing that players still choose Kansas if they have dreams of being a 1-and-done…

Not Bill Self’s style. Go to Kentucky if you want that. Self doesn’t give freshmen minutes 

 He had the chance to go to St. John’s stay home and be the star and he passed it up for Kansas. He would be playing 30 min+ per game, and I honestly think he would have been able to showcase himself much more if his true intention was to be a one and done. 

That being said though even when my Johnnies were recruiting him it was very clear, while talented, he was very much a work in progess. I think his best tool now, and probably going forward is his very high motor. His offensive game is very under-developed and he relies on touches within 3 feet of the basket set up by teammates, and put backs. He would do himself a huge favor if he developed a jump shot, or any sort of post game, which right now is nonexistant. 

I like the Kenneth Faried comparion based on his rebounding, and high motor, but he is a much better defender than Faried. I see him more like a Faried/Bismack Biyombo hybrid. 

 He had the chance to go to St. John’s stay home and be the star and he passed it up for Kansas. He would be playing 30 min+ per game, and I honestly think he would have been able to showcase himself much more if his true intention was to be a one and done. 

That being said though even when my Johnnies were recruiting him it was very clear, while talented, he was very much a work in progess. I think his best tool now, and probably going forward is his very high motor. His offensive game is very under-developed and he relies on touches within 3 feet of the basket set up by teammates, and put backs. He would do himself a huge favor if he developed a jump shot, or any sort of post game, which right now is nonexistant. 

I like the Kenneth Faried comparion based on his rebounding, and high motor, but he is a much better defender than Faried. I see him more like a Faried/Bismack Biyombo hybrid.