Moussa Diabaté's rebounding exploits have Charles Lee and Miles Bridges singing his praises

Matt Alquiza | Nov 18, 2024

Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Moussa Diabaté's impact on the Charlotte Hornets can not be overstated. The French big man has quickly developed into a force on the glass that is invaluable to Charlotte's competition levels from night to night. His 7.3 rebounds per contest are second on the team only to Nick Richards, ironically the big man who's injury opened the door for his renaissance, and his 39 offensive rebounds are a top-15 mark in the league.

Charlotte's appointed glass cleaner is an absolute treat to watch. He crashes the offensive boards in the second quarter of a weekend afternoon game against the Milwaukee Bucks' second unit like he's playing for an NBA title. His effort and energy levels are off the charts, spearheading Charlotte's two-way play with his limitless reserve of juice. His coach has taken notice.

"He's (Moussa) hungry. I think he's hungry to play, I think he's hungry to compete. He's hungry for every offensive rebound. I loved his tenacity on both ends of the floor. He's a connector...He does it defensively with his communication and his versatility. And then offensively he's connecting us by offensive rebounding and kicking out to guys for dagger threes...The basketball usually rewards you when you play with that type of energy and effort."

The basketball is rewarding Diabate, but he's working his tail off for it. His ability to position himself on the offensive boards sets him apart, and his teammates are thankful for his energy. Miles Bridges spoke about the budding star after Saturday's win against the Milwaukee Bucks.

"It's amazing. Moussa just kept his head down and worked hard, you know? So now he's playing himself into a contract. He's going to make it really hard on everybody to sit him on the bench. You can't sit him on the bench. He's getting rebounds, he's making hustle plays, he's doing everything for us...I love playing with him. He's got a great personality, he's a great kid, and he's coachable, and that's all you could ask for."

If it were up to Bridges, what happened to Diabaté's minutes in Cleveland wouldn't happen again. After racking up three offensive rebounds in the first half, Diabaté's role was diminished after the break. He played just three third quarter minutes, and wasn't seen again until mop up duty late in the fourth. Charlotte was unable to find their shooting touch when the game was tight down the stretch, and Diabaté's ability to chase down offensive rebounds was sorely missed as Cleveland pulled away in the fourth.

Diabaté will continue to climb up the rebounding leaderboards and endear himself to Hornets fans for as long as Richards and Mark Williams are sidelined. He was handed a chance to make a sizable impact on the Hornets due to their injury woes, and he has yet to disappoint.

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