It wasn't just that Hamidou Diallo scored a career-high 35 points Tuesday night -- while fasting for Ramadan, no less. It was that he also hounded the opponent's best player at the other end of the floor. It was these two things, together, that portrayed Diallo as a major piece of the Pistons' rebuild.
Not bad for a guy who got here two months ago.
"Anything that’s called upon for me to do to get this team wins, I’m willing to do it," Diallo said. "If it’s come out and score the basketball or guard the best player on the other team and do the nitty-gritty work, that’s the type of player I am. I just do what’s needed to win and elevate the team with my feel and my competitiveness."
In this case, Diallo's effort wasn't enough. The Pistons fell by three to the Hornets. But it was Diallo's effort that kept Detroit alive, that gave the team a boost in its third game in four nights. With the Pistons' top two scorers sidelined with injuries, it was Diallo who nearly dragged his teammates across the finish line.
"His energy level was a lot higher than a lot of our guys," said Dwane Casey. "And his attack mode was going."
It was going from start to finish, with Diallo scoring nine points in the first quarter and 14 in the fourth. Meanwhile, his three-ball was falling. He set season-highs in both makes (4) and attempts (6). And he did all this while holding Hornets star Terry Rozier to 8-23 from the field. This was a 40-minute expression of basketball talent. This was a realization of everything Diallo can do.
Remember, it was just a few years ago that he was a one-and-done at Kentucky. And just two years ago that he won the NBA's Slam Dunk contest. Remember, too: Pistons GM Troy Weaver got the inside look at Diallo for two seasons with the Thunder. Diallo is everything Weaver wants in a player, long, athletic and defensively competitive. He's everything Weaver wants in a Piston.
"He played with force, going downhill. And he took the challenge of guarding Rozier, which was big-time," Casey said. "Tonight was a career night for him. Really proud of him. One step in his growth of being one of the elite players in our league."
A career night for Diallo, but not a one-off performance. He's been a frequent weapon for the Pistons since Weaver acquired him from the Thunder in March for Svi Mykhailiuk and a future second-rounder. At the time, Casey called Diallo "one of the most athletic wings in the league." The coach wasn't kidding.
Diallo scored 19 points in his first two games with Detroit, and he scored 16 on Monday in his first game as a starter. He turned his next start into a career high. The dude's a player. And when he's drilling his threes, as he has so far for the Pistons, he's a flat-out problem.
"I take what the defense gives me," he said. "If they’re going to (close out slowly), I’m going to shoot the ball very confidently. And if they close out on me aggressively, I’m going to attack them -- and that’s what I’m really elite at."
'Elite' isn't a word thrown around casually in the NBA. It applies to Diallo because he has legitimately elite tools. His best are those that can't be taught. The others, like his shot, can be sharpened. Because also remember this: he's 22 years old.
Diallo will be a restricted free agent this summer, assuming the Pistons extend him a qualifying offer. He's in line for a long-term deal because he looks like a long-term piece, because he looks like a Piston as Weaver wants his team to be known. The future is bright in Detroit, brighter still with Diallo.
"Just keep improving" Diallo said. "Everything comes with improvement."