Cheick Diallo: B-
Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of Diallo. Despite having the length to defend the rim, offenders have shot 4.9 percent better within six feet of the basket. Despite having the athleticism to be a roller, he insists to stick himself on the baseline for mid-range jumpers.
The Pelicans have been significantly better with Diallo off the floor, as he has been a negative on both sides of the ball. Of course, a lot of this is due to the fact that he has not played much with both Holiday and Davis, who do the majority of heavy lifting offensively, but his defense has been poor, as offenders have shot better on his defense than on average defense, and despite shooting a high percentage, he has lacked the creativity and versatility of a skilled offensive player. Sure, he has put up bigger numbers recently, but he probably will not be very useful in a playoff series.