Suns sign Cheick Diallo

[overseascardfan]

He looks more like a center than forward.

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That actually work out because Kaminsky will be roaming the perimeter on offense and Diallo can work in space in the paint.

 

[Yuma]

OK, I am going to throw some water on this signing. Of all the guys left on the market, this was the guy I wanted the Suns to sign. So if I thought he was going to be a good signing, you all better think twice!

 

[Raze]

I actually like Cheick more than Kaminsky or Bender or possibly Baynes. He plays like a hungry player. He's all hustle and high energy. He knows his role down in the post on both O and D and stays with it. He has surprising touch around the rim and a nice baseline jumper. He's always in attack mode.

He fouls too much and has zero outside game. But his shot has gotten better and better every year, which is evident in his FG% improvement over 3 seasons: 47%, 58%, 62%. And, I actually like a guy who is always putting pressure on his opponent even if it ends in a foul. There's a lot to like here in this 22 year old.

I could see him stealing minutes away from Kaminsky and Baynes as the year wears on. This guy is trending upward and could be a really good fit next to Ayton in the years to come. Really good signing.

 

[JCSunsfan]

I actually like Cheick more than Kaminsky or Bender or possibly Baynes. He plays like a hungry player. He's all hustle and high energy. .

This is true. If you watch that biographical video on him, he is not playing so much for money, career, or family. He sees himself as an inspiration for his home nation (Mali) and carries that burden on his shoulders. Succeeding in this league is extremely important to him. I think that is why he was willing to sign for two years at the minimum with that second year team option. If taking less money gives him more opportunity to succeed down the road, he is gonna do it.

If this kid has the physical tools to succeed, I would not underestimate his will to do so.

 

[Covert Rain]

He appears to be a hungry and energy guy. You can always use those off your bench. To be more excited about him than the PFs that were available at our original pick? I don't agree.

 

[SirStefan32]

I actually like Cheick more than Kaminsky or Bender or possibly Baynes. He plays like a hungry player. He's all hustle and high energy. He knows his role down in the post on both O and D and stays with it. He has surprising touch around the rim and a nice baseline jumper. He's always in attack mode.

He fouls too much and has zero outside game. But his shot has gotten better and better every year, which is evident in his FG% improvement over 3 seasons: 47%, 58%, 62%. And, I actually like a guy who is always putting pressure on his opponent even if it ends in a foul. There's a lot to like here in this 22 year old.

I could see him stealing minutes away from Kaminsky and Baynes as the year wears on. This guy is trending upward and could be a really good fit next to Ayton in the years to come. Really good signing.

I was just looking at the depth chart and had the same thought. I can easily see him becoming the first big off the bench by mid-season.

 

[elindholm]

I was just looking at the depth chart and had the same thought. I can easily see him becoming the first big off the bench by mid-season.

Or even starting. If Bridges becomes the starting SF over Oubre, the starting lineup has plenty of scoring. Someone with a defensive mindset could help the Suns avoid some of the 40-point first quarters they have a tendency to give up.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Or even starting. If Bridges becomes the starting SF over Oubre, the starting lineup has plenty of scoring. Someone with a defensive mindset could help the Suns avoid some of the 40-point first quarters they have a tendency to give up.

Pretty sure this team has no tendencies as of yet considering only like 4 players are returning and there is a new coach.

 

[elindholm]

Pretty sure this team has no tendencies as of yet considering only like 4 players are returning and there is a new coach.

Fair enough, but the small group of players returning is the same ones largely responsible for losing so many games in the first 12 minutes.

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

Fair enough, but the small group of players returning is the same ones largely responsible for losing so many games in the first 12 minutes.

Sure, but they also had huge holes at PG and PF that surely didn't help in that regard. Igor also certainly had something to do with some of those situations with not calling timeouts soon enough and coming up with the game-plans that led to those starts.

 

[leclerc]

Fair enough, but the small group of players returning is the same ones largely responsible for losing so many games in the first 12 minutes.

I'm anxious to watch the first 10 games to see if the intensity and urgency has changed. If they're as lackluster and lost as last year, always getting behind in the last 5 minutes of the first quarter or whatever, jeez I don't know. They have to pride themselves on defense. Valley boyz should be about getting after it especially on defense. Thankfully Rubio is a defender. It's a shame they didn't re-sign Holmes. Holmes, Oubre, Bridges, Josh Jackson and Melton was huge (relatively speaking) last year.

 

[Raze]

Or even starting. If Bridges becomes the starting SF over Oubre, the starting lineup has plenty of scoring. Someone with a defensive mindset could help the Suns avoid some of the 40-point first quarters they have a tendency to give up.

One of the things I was really hoping for this off season was to land a PF that was a Dirty Worker. Someone who doesn't seem to care about stats and is willing to clean up all the messes left by Ayton etc. A guy who adds blocks, boards, steals, slaps in the head, elbows in the neck, and all out hustle. I had hoped for a guy like Thaddeus Young, but he really was too expensive. Cheick checks most of the boxes (pun intended). He just doesn't have an outside shot. But as Ayton stretches further out with that incredible shot, we won't need a PF/C who can drill from outside. Someone is going to have to fill the void left in the paint. Cheick might be it.

While I absolutely love what Saric adds to our O, I'm equally troubled by his lack luster performances on D. At some point, if our starting D is atrocious again, Monty might have to make a switch. I'm guessing it won't be Oubre since he seems to be the lifeblood of the team. I'd bet it'd be Saric. And since Kaminsky is probably a worse defender than Saric, we might see Cheick actually start.

 

[Raze]

BTW, Cheick's stats in the per 36 minutes category (fair to look at as he only got 10 minutes a game):

Rebounding: #16 OVL at 13.3. (KAT was #15. Ayton was #20)
DRB: #8 (ahead of Gobert)
Steals: #82 (sounds bad, but when you consider it's the entire NBA... My unofficial count is that he was #8 for PFs.)

Troubling stats:
PF: #27
Blocks: #40

He needs to become more efficient in his block attempts. His PF/Block ratio is 4.5/1.3 which is lousy.

One other interesting thing I saw: only 3 other players in the top rebounding per 36 had a higher FG% than Cheick (Jordan, Gobert, and Capella). So he's an extremely efficient scorer coupled with high caliber rebounding.

 

[Mainstreet]

One of the things I was really hoping for this off season was to land a PF that was a Dirty Worker. Someone who doesn't seem to care about stats and is willing to clean up all the messes left by Ayton etc. A guy who adds blocks, boards, steals, slaps in the head, elbows in the neck, and all out hustle. I had hoped for a guy like Thaddeus Young, but he really was too expensive. Cheick checks most of the boxes (pun intended). He just doesn't have an outside shot. But as Ayton stretches further out with that incredible shot, we won't need a PF/C who can drill from outside. Someone is going to have to fill the void left in the paint. Cheick might be it.

While I absolutely love what Saric adds to our O, I'm equally troubled by his lack luster performances on D. At some point, if our starting D is atrocious again, Monty might have to make a switch. I'm guessing it won't be Oubre since he seems to be the lifeblood of the team. I'd bet it'd be Saric. And since Kaminsky is probably a worse defender than Saric, we might see Cheick actually start.

This is why I wanted the Suns to add a 15th player that could play some minutes. The Suns needed more athleticism and defense at the power forward position. Maybe Diallo can help.

 

[JCSunsfan]

This is why I wanted the Suns to add a 15th player that could play some minutes. The Suns needed more athleticism and defense at the power forward position. Maybe Diallo can help.

I am wondering if Ayton could add a three pointer--which is not really a stretch--could his best future be at pf. He likes to defend like a pf, and has the feet to defend out to the three point line. If we paired him with a big, shot-blocking center--or at least quality defensive center--he might thrive.

 

[Mainstreet]

I am wondering if Ayton could add a three pointer--which is not really a stretch--could his best future be at pf. He likes to defend like a pf, and has the feet to defend out to the three point line. If we paired him with a big, shot-blocking center--or at least quality defensive center--he might thrive.

The Suns have always wanted a dominant center but I am not locked into this position for Ayton. If he can thrive at power forward, I'm good with it. Whatever takes him to the next level. IMO, centers are easier to acquire than power forwards.

 

[SunnyBaller]

The Suns have always wanted a dominant center but I am not locked into this position for Ayton. If he can thrive at power forward, I'm good with it. Whatever takes him to the next level. IMO, centers are easier to acquire than power forwards.

That's why I was intrigued by drafting Hayes this year because Ayton has the ability to be a PF , whether he plays 4 or 5 they need a defensive big next to him to really thrive

 

[Mainstreet]

That's why I was intrigued by drafting Hayes this year because Ayton has the ability to be a PF , whether he plays 4 or 5 they need a defensive big next to him to really thrive

Jaxson Hayes would have been intriguing for sure.

 

[BC867]

I am wondering if Ayton could add a three pointer--which is not really a stretch--could his best future be at pf. He likes to defend like a pf, and has the feet to defend out to the three point line. If we paired him with a big, shot-blocking center--or at least quality defensive center--he might thrive.

Yup!

 

[WildBB]

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Getting a two-year deal with a team option for year two is fantastic. He won't impact the cap because the cap hold is the minimum anyway, but they have control for two years. There is no downside for the team.

So. That is it for our off-season. This is the way I see the depth chart.

Pg: Rubio, Jerome, Lecque, Carter
SG: Booker, TyJohnson, Okobo
SF: Oubre, Bridges, CJohnson
PF: Saric, Kaminsky
C: Ayton, Baynes, Diallo

2-way: Harper, ???

One more two-way slot open. I think we probably wait to see if something good comes along. I would see Okobo getting traded or cut.

Carter is better than Lecque at this stage. And Jerome will have something to prove yet.

Decent gritty 2nd unit potential for Suns though.

??/TyJohnson/Bridges/Kaminsky/Baynes~Diallo

 

[Ouchie-Z-Clown]

Carter is better than Lecque at this stage. And Jerome will have something to prove yet.

Decent gritty 2nd unit potential for Suns though.

??/TyJohnson/Bridges/Kaminsky/Baynes~Diallo

Very little playmaking

 

[JCSunsfan]

Very little playmaking

Playmaking is what Jerome does. We have defense, athleticism, and playmaking in our backup point guards.---it would just be nice to have it all on the court in one player.

Can't have everything I guess.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Gambo is reporting that the Pelicans had decided they wanted to keep Diallo over Randle and that is why they let Randle walk. But then they got multiple players back in the AD trade and it was just a numbers thing.

It shows they valued Diallo highly. I am not sure it means they felt Diallo was a better player than Randle, just that they felt he was a better return on cost than Randle.