One of the most exciting signings of the Denver Nuggets' offseason is off to a shaky start, and he may just be relegated to a specialist role after seeing where he shakes out in the rotation over the past few games. Alpha Diallo isn't getting playing time, and he may have been leapfrogged on the depth chart.
Diallo was brought in for his defensive expertise after finishing last year as the winner of the Best Defender award in the EuroLeague. Cameron Johnson described him as a "menace" in training camp. Diallo even got off to a hot start in the preseason, and a rotation spot looked to be all but locked up. But after logging just 9 minutes and a DNP over his last three games, the 29-year-old rookie looks to be nothing but a defensive specialist for when the Nuggets need some extra pressure.
Diallo's offense has been pretty rough
Despite playing some incredible defense in the preseason and helping the Nuggets limit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 17 points in the season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, a game in which he played 22 minutes, Diallo hasn't been on the court much. And one big reason could be his offense.
Sure, Diallo can attack the rim well when he gets the ball with space from the corner, but he's been a poor finisher, and his three-point shot hasn't fallen. And that's only what we've been able to see during game action. Head coach David Adelman gets to see what happens in practice, and maybe he just hasn't seen enough good from Diallo on that side of the ball yet?
Diallo has lost playing time to Bryce Hopkins
And there's even more evidence of the diminishing role for Diallo. DeMar DeRozan was out of the lineup against the Toronto Raptors, and Adelman only put Diallo in for the final 3:45 of garbage time in the 128-109 win.
Instead, it was the 49th pick of this summer's NBA Draft, Bryce Hopkins, who saw the bulk of the extra minutes in DeRozan's absence. And he went off with 18 points on 6-for-7 shooting while playing 27 minutes off the bench. Hopkins is no stranger to physical defensive play himself, and he snagged 2 steals in the game. Hopkins has been great when given time, and the Nuggets hit it big between him and Trevon Brazile, their other rookie second-round pick.
Sure, it's still early, and the rotation could still be in flux, but the evidence points to Diallo as a defensive specialist. And that's okay. That's what Diallo does best, and when the time comes, he'll go out and put pressure on D again.
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