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Mohamed Diawara #51 of New York Knicks is likely to lose his role to Jeremy Sochan.
In his last eight games, 20-year-old New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara has gotten his best chance to play and make an impression in the NBA. The Knicks have had injuries, primarily to OG Anunoby (toe), and Diawara has been the beneficiary. In his last eight outings, Diawara has averaged 6.8 points and 2.0 rebounds, playing 15.8 minutes per game and showing his chops as a 3-and-D prospect.
Diawara has made 46.2% of his 3-pointers (averaging 3.3 attempts per game) in that stretch, and had 14 points in the team’s win over the Sixers just before the All-Star break.
But the Knicks have also added a new wing, another long, versatile and defensive-minded young player. The team signed former Spurs lottery pick Jeremy Sochan, who was surprisingly cut by San Antonio after the trade deadline. Sochan comes in with more experience and a better NBA pedigree, which means that Diawara’s spot in the rotation is likely to shrivel.
Knicks Will Be Too Crowded for Mohamed Diawara
Of course, it remains to be seen how much of a role Diawara–or Sochan, for that matter–will have going forward, when the Knicks are fully healthy with Anunoby (who had a toenail removed) back on the floor alongside Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart. All three play more than 30.0 minutes per game.
Sochan has played some point-forward, especially early in his career, and could assume some of Miles McBride’s minutes, depending on how much new guy Jose Alvarado plays.
Either way, it’s going to spell more pine time for Diawara.
Via SNY’s Ian Begley: “Mo’s had a good season so far. As a young guy — as you guys know, I’ll play young guys and I have played young guys in front of vets before. But I’m going to give Jeremy an opportunity … similar to Tyler (Kolek). Jose (Alvarado) is a vet. He knows the league. The league knows him. He knows the officials and visa versa.
“So they are going to get an opportunity. But at the end of the day I’m going to play who I think is best for us. Right now, Jeremy is new. He hasn’t played for us. So I have to see rather quickly what we have in him before going to the playoffs.”
GettyJeremy Sochan looks to get past Josh Hart of the New York Knicks.
Jeremy Sochan Happy for Another Chance
In San Antonio, Sochan averaged 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in his first three seasons with the team, but never really took the steps forward offensively that the Spurs wanted, a seemed to plateau by Year 2. He was barely playing this year, averaging 4.1 points in 12.8 minutes, and made just two appearances since January 15.
Sochan part of the issue was that he did not mesh with Spurs coach Mitch Johnson. “Just no real opportunity, in my opinion. And it is what it is. It’s a very deep team. And maybe I didn’t see eye to eye with coach, and coach didn’t see anything I could do for the team,” Sochan said.
“And it is what it is. And I’m just blessed to be in an opportunity where I can grow and blossom.”
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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