Diabate is in the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the Pistons.
Miles Bridges (knee) is out for Thursday's contest, meaning Grant Williams will slide to power forward while Diabate will get the nod at center. This will be Diabate's first start of the season. The big man is averaging 4.4 points and 8.7 rebounds per game in 10 outings in November.
Diabate finished Saturday's 115-114 win over the Bucks with 12 points (6-7 FG), 14 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal over 25 minutes.
Diabate did most of his damage in the first half of Saturday's contest, grabbing six of his game-high 10 offensive rebounds to help keep the Hornets within striking distance heading into halftime. The 2022 second-round pick has seen a significant increase in playing time off the bench due to Nick Richards being sidelined with a rib fracture, and Diabate should continue to see heavy usage as the first big man off the Hornets' bench. Diabate has grabbed at least 11 rebounds over his last four games, and across that span he has averaged 7.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 2.3 blocks over 26.8 minutes per game.
Diabate racked up 12 points (6-7 FG), 15 rebounds, one assist, three blocks and one steal over 30 minutes during Tuesday's 114-89 loss to the Magic.
Diabate made the most of his minutes in this defeat against the Magic and showed the two-way impact he can generate when given enough time on the court. Diabate is not expected to see the court regularly, but with Mark Williams (foot) and Nick Richards (ribs) nursing injuries, expect him to see more minutes in the coming days.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Pulls down 15 rebounds
Rotowire
Diabate had zero points (0-1 FG), 15 rebounds, three blocks and one steal over 29 minutes during Friday's 103-83 win over Indiana.
Diabate missed his lone shot of the game, but he was an imposing presence near the rim, pulling down 15 boards and also rejecting three shots. Diabate doesn't have a lot of fantasy upside and will continue to play a minor role off the bench for the Hornets in most games, but don't rule him out being a potential streaming option in category-based leagues if he can deliver numbers like these on a semi-regular basis.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Plays with energy Friday
Rotowire
Diabate totaled seven points (3-4 FG, 1-2 FT), seven rebounds and one assist in 16 minutes during Friday's 124-109 loss to the Celtics.
Diabate played a season-high 16 minutes in the loss, providing the team with some much-needed energy following a lackluster first quarter. He was particularly aggressive on the offensive boards, hauling down an impressive six offensive rebounds. As long as the Hornets are banged up, Diabate is someone who should have a somewhat meaningful role, especially if the team continues to start slowly in games.
... See More... See Less
Hornets' Moussa Diabate: Joins Charlotte on two-way deal
Rotowire
Diabate and the Hornets agreed to a two-way contract Monday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reports.
The No. 43 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Diabate spent the past two seasons with the Clippers where he made a total of 33 appearances. With the Hornets in the early stages of a rebuild, there is a much bigger path to minutes for Diabate with his new franchise, though he'll likely spend the bulk of his time in the G League early on.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Not available Wednesday
Rotowire
Head coach Tyronn Lue said Diabate (hand) will be inactive for Wednesday's game against the Suns, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Diabate, a two-way player, is back with the Clippers now that the G League season is over, but it's unclear if he'll be available in a depth role over the remaining two contests of the regular season. He hasn't played at either the NBA or G League level since March 14 due to the hand injury.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Still out with hand injury
Rotowire
Diabate (hand) was inactive Thursday for the G League Ontario Clippers' 113-102 win over the G League Ignite.
Diabate didn't play in any of Ontario's final six games of the G League season while he continues to recover from a hand injury. Before sustaining the injury, Diabate appeared in 19 games for Ontario and averaged 15.5 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.9 blocks and 1.2 steals in 30.0 minutes per contest while shooting 54.6 percent from the field. Since he's a two-way player, Diabate's 2023-24 season isn't over, as he'll still have a chance to see some minutes at the NBA level with the Clippers over the final two weeks of the regular season if he's able to overcome the hand injury.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Dominates glass in double-double
Rotowire
Diabate recorded 10 points (4-14 FG, 1-1 FT), 18 rebounds, five assists, three steals and three blocks over 39 minutes in Sunday's 115-111 win over Westchester.
Diabate owned the glass in Sunday's victory, leading all players in rebounds to go along with a handful of assists, a trio of steals and a team-best trio of blocks in a double-double showcase. Diabate has averaged 15.8 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals over 30.0 minutes in 12 G League outings.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Remains inactive
Rotowire
Diabate (hip) is out for Tuesday's game against Charlotte.
Diabate continues to be sidelined by a pinched nerve in his left hip. The 21-year-old is without a timetable for return.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Out again
Rotowire
Diabate (hip) won't play in Saturday's game against Boston, Justin Russo of the 'Clip & Roll' podcast reports.
Diabate has been sidelined since Nov. 30 with a hip injury. Considering he's played more than six minutes only twice this season, his absence shouldn't have much impact on the Clippers rotation.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Remains out Monday
Rotowire
Diabate (hip) has been ruled out for Monday's game against the Pacers, Andrew Greif of the Los Angeles Times reports.
Diabate continues to deal with a hip injury and hasn't played since late November. His continued absence shouldn't impact the Clippers' rotation.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Won't play Saturday
Rotowire
Diabate (hip) will not play in Saturday's game against the Knicks.
Diabate hasn't seen the floor for the Clippers since Nov. 30 and isn't usually in the rotation.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Still sidelined
Rotowire
Diabate (hip) won't play in Thursday's game against the Warriors, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Diabate has been battling left hip soreness over the last few days and will miss another contest due to the issue. His next chance to play will come Saturday against the Knicks.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Out Monday with hip injury
Rotowire
The Clippers list Diabate as out for Monday's game against the Trail Blazers with left hip soreness.
Diabate, a two-way player who had been on assignment with the G League's Ontario Clippers, was forced to miss Ontario's 127-126 overtime loss to the South Bay Lakers with the same injury and will remain sidelined as he rejoins the NBA team. He's appeared in just nine games with Los Angeles in 2023-24, averaging 3.0 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.1 minutes per contest.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Still out Friday
Rotowire
Diabate (ribs) won't play in Friday's Summer League game against Philadelphia, Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints.com reports.
Diabate will miss his second straight Summer League game Friday due to a rib contusion. The second-year forward averaged 8.9 minutes across 22 appearances for the Clippers in 2022-23.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Solid performance in loss
Rotowire
Diabate finished with 19 points (8-17 FG, 2-3 FT), 21 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes during Monday's 101-97 loss to the Oklahoma City Blue.
Despite the loss, Diabate dominated against the Blue by accounting for 40 percent of the team's rebounds while also finishing as the second-leading scorer. Expect him to continue to play at a high level as the primary big man for Ontario.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Solid performance in win
Rotowire
Diabate finished with 17 points (5-11 FG, 5-7 FT), 12 rebounds and three steals in 29 minutes during Saturday's 103-100 victory over the Cleveland Charge.
Once again, Diabate was able to have his way offensively against Cleveland by leading the team in rebounds while also finishing as one of the leading scorers. He also showcased his defensive prowess, finishing as one of the leaders in steals. Expect him to continue to churn out double-double performances as the primary big man for Ontario.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Sent to G League
Rotowire
Diabate (illness) will join the Clippers G League affiliate Thursday, Law Murray of The Athletic reports.
Diabate missed Tuesday's NBA game with a non-COVID illness and will be sent down to join the G League Clippers. His next chance to suit up will come Sunday against Maine.
... See More... See Less
Clippers' Moussa Diabate: Gets limited run Friday
Rotowire
Diabate played four minutes and finished two points (1-1 FG), one rebound and one block in Friday's 119-106 loss to the Bucks.
Diabate has now appeared in two straight games for the Clippers, but only because L.A. was down players due to the roster churn ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. His appearance Friday didn't come until the outcome was already well decided, and the rookie out of Michigan is unlikely to factor into head coach Tyronn Lue's rotation when the Clippers are presumably back to full strength for Tuesday's game against the Warriors. Expect Diabate to head to the G League's Ontario Clippers before long.
