Nets draft high-flying Hamidou Diallo with No. 45 pick
With the 45th pick in the NBA draft, the Brooklyn Nets have selected Kentucky shooting guard Hamidou Diallo.
The Nets made the selection on behalf of the Charlotte Hornets, who will obtain Diallo in the Dwight Howard trade once it's official on July 6th.
Diallo averaged a cool 10 points per game on 42.8 percent from the field - including 33.8 percent from 3-point range - in his lone collegiate season at Kentucky. In the second-last game of his career, Diallo helped lead the Wildcats to a Round of 32 win over Buffalo with 22 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in 35 minutes.
Playing for Team USA, Diallo won a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship in 2016 and a bronze medal at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup last summer.
Hamidou Diallo bio
Position: SG
School: Kentucky
College Experience: Freshman
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 195 lbs
Wingspan: 6-foot-11
Max vertical: 44-inch
What the analysts are saying
- "(Diallo) has definite untapped potential as one of the best pure athletes available. His role at Kentucky (...) diminished of late, and there are relevant questions about his ability to be effective in the halfcourt." - Jeremy Woo, Sports Illustrated
- "Will really benefit from the more spaced out NBA in comparison to Kentucky’s cramped floors. Has some chops as a ball-handler and passer he could develop due to his first-step advantage." - JZ Mazlish, The Stepien.