There have been plenty of questions about what the Charlotte Hornets' solution for the center position is going to be this season. Well, through two preseason games, Moussa Diabate's performances should be doing plenty to calm the nerves of the fanbase.
Moussa has of course been a massive success story ever since his tenure in Charlotte began in 2024. I don't think anyone expected much at all out of a guy who was heading into his third professional season at the time and had played just 33 games in two years with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Joining the Hornets on a two-way in July of last year, Diabate had everything to prove and he made the absolute most of his opportunity. With Mark Williams out to begin the season, it was the perfect scenario for a younger, unproven guy to step up and show what he was made of.
Over the course of the season, Moussa obviously far outperformed his contract value and proved that he has a lot to offer as a real rotational player the Hornets can rely on. Still, one of the biggest talking points over the course of this past summer was about the lack of strong options Charlotte was going to have at center.
Moussa makin’ movess pic.twitter.com/i19SQbmg3D
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) October 10, 2025
Diabate isn't done improving
After dealing away Nick Richards and Williams, the Hornets were left with Diabate, the newly-resigned Mason Plumlee and the rookie Ryan Kalkbrenner as their options for a true center. It's of course commonly been pointed out as a weak spot on the roster, but Moussa is doing everything he can to reverse that narrative.
Against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, Diabate played 26 minutes and scored 14 points with seven rebounds, He showed some creativity offensively, catching a pass from Tre Mann in the first half of action and taking one dribble into a spin move against the defensive mastermind Lu Dort for an and-one.
It's clear that his hustle and relentless approach to the game has not wavered at all, and that's what Mason Plumlee voiced at Wednesday's Hornets practice. "A different level of confidence," Plumlee said. "He's always played hard, but he seems like he's just out there competing. And he's just relentless, I think that's the word to describe him. Whether it be rebounding, defense, finishing, he's a force."
One thing that certain coaches like to say is that playing hard is a skill in and of itself. I think it's clear that Moussa Diabate embodies this skill more than the majority of players in the association. He may not be as physically gifted as some, but his intangibles are going to help him continue to outshine his opponents on a regular basis.