Moussa Diabate flashes NBA potential in Vegas

Good morning to any Michigan Wolverines fans who stayed up to watch Moussa Diabate’s breakout performance at 2:30 a.m.

Michigan dispatched a pesky UNLV team, 74-61, largely on the backs of the Wolverine big men. Hunter Dickinson was his usual, spectacular self, but Diabate stole the show with his best game yet as a Wolverine.

Diabate finished the game with 14 points, seven rebounds (four of which being offensive), two blocks, a steal and what is the dunk of the year so far for Michigan. Early in the first half, he drove the length of the floor off a steal and threw it down over a defender.

Beyond that, Diabate displayed his post-up game several times with great success. He was 6-of-7 from the floor in just 21 minutes.

The biggest takeaway for me from this game was how comfortable Diabate looked playing the 4. Michigan’s largest lineup with Diabate at the 4 and Dickinson at the 5 looked more and more comfortable as time went on. Diabate’s athleticism allows him to defend basically anyone, especially stretch 4s who hang out around the perimeter. This allows Dickinson to protect the rim and remain in the paint.

With some of Michigan’s other newcomers struggling, seeing Diabate have a breakout game is a welcomed sight for Juwan Howard. We knew of his athleticism and defensive prowess, but his post game is coming along quicker than expected. Have yourself a game, kid, and work on learning the fight song.