Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Hamidou Diallo
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Diallo will return to the Pistons after the team opted to pick up his player option. Coming off a relatively underwhelming season, he should slot in as a regular piece of the second unit, providing him with an opportunity to at least make a case for more playing time. During the 2021-22 campaign, Diallo played in 58 games, compiling averages of just 11.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 22 minutes per game. This had him well outside the standard league discussion, somewhere he figures to remain moving forward.
Diallo is coming off the best season in his young career so far (11.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals). The 23-year-old even managed a career-high 35-point night against the Hornets on May 4. The former Kentucky guard shot the ball at career-high marks, hitting 47.7 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from behind the three-point arc. Over the offseason, Diallo signed a two-year deal to stay in Detroit. The Pistons' No. 1 pick, Cade Cunningham, is expected to take on a big role. As a result, Diallo's minutes will likely take a hit, and he'll probably be forced to come off the bench behind Cunningham, Josh Jackson and Saddiq Bey. Diallo will most likely only provide value in deep fantasy leagues this year.
The second-round pick played a minimal role in his first NBA season, but he flashed a lot of upside with his freak athleticism, most notably winning the Slam Dunk Contest. The Kentucky product averaged 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 10.3 minutes, appearing in 51 games. His per-36 numbers were encouraging, as he averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 combined blocks/steals. With Paul George and Russell Westbrook gone, there are plenty of minutes and opportunities available for Diallo to see his role expand. He'll compete for playing time as a reserve wing with the likes of Dennis Schroder, Terrance Ferguson and Abdel Nader. It's reasonable to expect a bump in playing time and production for Diallo in his second season, but he's not on the fantasy radar in standard leagues yet. He should be reserved for deep leagues as a late-round pick with upside.