Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Modest performance in loss
Rotowire
Diabate racked up 10 points (2-5 FG, 6-8 FT), five rebounds, one assist and one block over 36 minutes during Thursday's 114-112 loss to the Pacers.
Diabate finished Thursday's loss to the Pacers with only five boards, his fewest since Dec. 20 and the only time he's been held below eight since entering the starting lineup Dec. 23. With Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) sidelined, Diabate has played at least 28 minutes in seven straight games and has been a strong source of rebounds, averaging 8.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.9 blocks in 32.3 minutes per game during that time.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Cleared to play
Rotowire
Diabate (wrist) is available for Wednesday's game against Toronto.
Diabate was tabbed probable due to a wrist injury, and he'll be in action Wednesday night. The 23-year-old will likely make his eighth start of the season, as Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) remains sidelined. In his seven starts, Diabate is averaging 8.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists across 31.9 minutes.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Likely to play against Raptors
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Diabate is probable for Wednesday's game against Toronto due to a right wrist sprain.
Diabate recently sat out two games due to the sprain, and the Hornets continue to keep an eye on his health for the first half of this back-to-back set. With Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) facing another absence, Diabate is slated to start Wednesday. Diabate has averaged 8.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 31.8 minutes per tilt across seven games as a starter this season, shooting 67.6 percent from the floor.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Nearly double-doubles
Rotowire
Diabate accumulated nine points (4-5 FG, 1-2 FT), 12 rebounds and five assists over 28 minutes during Monday's 124-97 victory over Oklahoma City.
Diabate was able to return from a two-game absence related to a wrist injury, and he picked up right where he left off. Meanwhile, Ryan Kalkbrenner remains sidelined by an elbow issue that continues to linger. Over his last five games, Diabate is averaging 9.0 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 0.6 blocks in 31.9 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Available Monday
Rotowire
Diabate (wrist) is available for Monday's game against the Thunder.
Diabate will return from a two-game absence due to a right wrist sprain, and he's expected to get the starting nod with Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) remaining on the shelf. Diabate has started each of his last four outings, averaging 9.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 33.0 minutes per contest over that stretch. With the 23-year-old big man back in the lineup, PJ Hall should slide to the second unit against Oklahoma City.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Upgraded to probable
Rotowire
Diabate is probable for Monday's game against the Thunder with a sprained right wrist.
With Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) still sidelined, Diabate should resume his role as the starting center in his expected return from a two-game absence. Diabate has averaged 8.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 32.4 minutes per contest across six games as a starter this season, shooting 65.6 percent from the floor.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Questionable for Monday
Rotowire
Diabate (wrist) is questionable for Monday's matchup with the Thunder.
It looks like there's a chance Diabate could return from a two-game absence Monday, but we'll have a better idea on his status based on his activity level at shootaround. If Diabate is cleared to return, PJ Hall and Tidjane Salaun (ankle) could see a reduction in minutes.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Out again Saturday
Rotowire
Diabate (wrist) won't play in Saturday's game against the Bulls.
Diabate will miss a second straight game due to a sprained right wrist. With Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) also sidelined, PJ Hall and Tidjane Salaun should step into considerably larger roles. Diabate's next chance to play will come Monday at Oklahoma City.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Questionable with wrist sprain
Rotowire
Diabate is questionable for Friday's game against the Bucks due to a right wrist sprain.
Friday is the first half of a back-to-back for the Hornets, which could play a part in determining the 2022 second-rounder's availability this weekend. With Ryan Kalkbrenner (elbow) and Mason Plumlee (groin) unavailable, PJ Hall could start at center if Diabate is also ruled out.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Nearly double-doubles
Rotowire
Diabate notched 14 points (6-9 FG, 2-2 FT), nine rebounds, three assists, one block and two steals across 35 minutes during Monday's 123-113 loss to the Bucks.
Diabate continues to thrive in the absence of Ryan Kalkbrenner (ankle), whose been sidelined for four straight games. During that small sample size, Diabate has produced fourth-round value in nine-category formats with averages of 10.3 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 steals and 0.5 blocks in 32.9 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Another double-double
Rotowire
Diabate provided 10 points (3-4 FG, 4-6 FT), 13 rebounds, three assists and one block over 33 minutes during Friday's 120-105 victory over the Magic.
Diabate continues to make the most of the fact that he is basically the last healthy center left on the Hornets roster. He recorded his second straight double-double, grabbing at least 13 rebounds for the third straight game. He is a clear must-roster player right now, keeping in mind that when Ryan Kalkbrenner returns from his elbow injury, Diabate will likely go back to being an elite streaming option.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Season-high 14 rebounds
Rotowire
Diabate notched five points (2-6 FG, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, two assists and six steals across 28 minutes during Monday's 139-132 loss to the Cavaliers.
Despite coming off the bench, Diabate played the bulk of the center minutes following an injury to Mason Plumlee (groin) after just 10 minutes. Ryan Kalkbrenner was also missing in this one, sidelined due to an elbow injury. Diabate rewarded anyone who streamed him in, recording a career-high six steals while also dominating the glass with a season-high 14 boards. If Kalkbrenner and Plumlee are forced to miss additional time, Diabate would become a must-roster player, albeit as a short-term option only.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Upgraded to available
Rotowire
Diabate (knee) is available for Friday's game against the Bulls.
The expectation was that Diabate would be able to play through a knee problem, given that the Hornets upgraded him to probable earlier Friday. Over his last 11 games, the 23-year-old center has averaged 7.9 rebounds, 7.0 points, 1.7 assists and 0.7 blocks in 21.8 minutes per contest.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Iffy for Friday
Rotowire
Diabate (knee) is questionable for Friday's game against the Bulls.
Diabate is in danger of missing consecutive contests due to right knee soreness. The Hornets would really need to rely heavily upon Ryan Kalkbrenner at center if Diabate cannot play, and Mason Plumlee would likely remain in the rotation as the backup in this case.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Won't start Friday
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Diabate won't start Friday against the Raptors.
Ryan Kalkbrenner will rejoin the starting five Friday, pushing Diabate back to the second unit. The big man has averaged 7.4 points and 7.6 rebounds in 22.0 minutes per game over his last five outings off the bench.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Drawing start Wednesday
Rotowire
Diabate is part of the starting lineup for Wednesday's game against the Knicks.
Diabate will supplant Ryan Kalkbrenner in the starting lineup for Wednesday's contest. In his only start this season, Diabate logged 15 points, 11 rebounds and one steal across 43 minutes of an overtime loss to Milwaukee -- a game Kalkbrenner was inactive for.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Only 18 minutes Friday
Rotowire
Diabate produced four points (1-3 FG, 2-2 FT), eight rebounds, two assists and two steals across 18 minutes during Friday's 123-116 victory over the Bulls.
Diabate logged fewer than 20 minutes for the second straight game, something that should be monitored moving forward. Despite coming off the bench behind Ryan Kalkbrenner, Diabate has been able to carve out a meaningful role, averaging 9.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.8 combined steals and blocks in 22.5 minutes per game. He is worth rostering in specific situations, those being anywhere typical big-man stats are required.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Splitting time at center
Rotowire
Diabate recorded eight points (3-9 FG, 2-3 FT), 12 rebounds and three assists over 24 minutes during Wednesday's 127-118 loss to the Pacers.
Diabate's 24 minutes of action were one shy of starting center Ryan Kalkbrenner's total against the Pacers. The two finished with similar stats Wednesday night, with both bordering on a double-double. There's no indication that Diabete's role will fade, as he's averaging 10.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game across the month of November despite splitting time with Kalkbrenner.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Blocks three shots in loss
Rotowire
Diabate supplied eight points (4-4 FG), three rebounds, one assist, three blocks and two steals over 29 minutes during Monday's 121-111 loss to the Lakers.
Diabate has been one of the main contributors off the bench, leading the second unit in minutes played Monday and making all four of his field-goal attempts. He also had a wonderful defensive performance, logging three blocks and two steals, improving his season averages in those respective categories to 1.5 blocks and 0.6 steals. Diabate will continue to split time at center with rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner, though it appears the latter's role as the starter is firmly established. Kalkbrenner has started every contest, but Diabate was with the first five to begin the second half of Monday's loss, and Kalkbrenner finished with a season-low 19 minutes.
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Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Logs first double-double of season
Rotowire
Diabate put up 12 points (4-9 FG, 4-5 FT), 10 rebounds, two blocks and an assist across 23 minutes in Sunday's 139-113 win over Washington.
Diabate has been one of the more important players among the bench unit, as he and rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner continue to compete for minutes and potentially the starting job. If Diabate can continue to post performances like he did Sunday, he may be able to crack the starting lineup in the foreseeable future.
