The Hornets may be struggling at 4–11, but their center rotation has been far better than expected after trading Mark Williams and Jusuf Nurkic in the offseason.
Rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner has stepped into a starting role and leads the NBA in field-goal percentage at 81.1% through 14 starts.
Behind him, Moussa Diabate – once an undrafted long shot – has become one of the league’s most productive backup bigs.
In just 22.9 minutes per game, he’s averaging 10.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks, and he ranks third in the NBA in offensive rebounds with 62. But head coach Charles Lee says Diabate’s value is much broader.
“Offensively, he’s grown (from) being more than just an offensive rebounder,” Lee said. “I think that his screening has gotten a lot better … working the dunker area – has gotten really good. He’s got good hands down there, so guys feel comfortable with some dump-offs.”
Lee even wore a “Moose on the Loose” shirt featuring Diabate, something the 23-year-old found surreal given how quickly his career has changed.
“It’s great,” Diabate said. “I’ve come far now … I go from a two-way … damn near got cut by the Clippers to now having a shirt (worn) by one of the NBA head coaches. So, it’s a great feeling. It’s a blessing.”
Southeast Notes: Diabate, Johnson, Powell, Herro, Sarr, Bagley https://t.co/Cli4mWCxPZ pic.twitter.com/8tcwIga90Q
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) November 22, 2025
