The rookie who helped bring Victor Wembanyama to Spurs

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks traded every first round pick they could to build their team, putting pressure on Walt Perine and his scouting department to make the most of any remaining draft opportunities. On Sunday, Mohamed Diawara, the 51st overall pick in 2025 and Knicks’ only rookie, scored 14 points in 14:55 of playing time to help defeat the San Antonio Spurs on primetime television.

New York’s scoring has been led by Mikal Bridges and Jalen Brunson, who have generally played well against the Spurs during their tenure with the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns capped their rebounding success with 14 of his own, giving New York 54. That was 13 more than San Antonio.

No bench player on either team hit more than eight shots or scored more than eight points. Except for Diavara, who launched 14 shot attempts in almost as many minutes of play. 13 of them came from beyond the 3-point arc, which encouraged the head coach Mike Brown to praise the newcomer apparently unreliable confidence.

“The first thing I would say is Mo is not afraid. I told you this before, for a young guy, I put him out there in games, to start with, on national television,” Brown told members of the media after the Knicks’ win. “He didn’t blink an eye. He could start three games in a row and then maybe not play the fourth. He doesn’t blink an eye. He’s the most confident young man I’ve been around. And he’s got a chance to be — not good, really good.”

Diavara seems to have the upper hand Jeremy Sochan for a place in the playoffs

Former Spurs Jeremy Sochan played just two minutes against his old team. Brown told reporters when he signed that efforts to integrate and evaluate the 22-year-old could affect Diawara’s playing time. The coach remained consistent with his methodical approach, wanting to understand his options ahead of the most impactful games of the year.

In recent games, including the Knicks’ last three, Diavara has come off the bench ahead of Socan and played a more prominent role. When asked by ClutchPoints about the trend, Brown said the players have to prepare for any opportunities that arise in the midst of adjustment.

“What you said is true,” Brown told ClutchPoints. “He and Jeremy are 9 and 10, 10 and 9 right now. They both just have to be ready because their number could be called at any time.”

Brown is in no rush to finalize his playoff rotation. They will likely explore as many options as possible before the margin for error narrows. But if Diavara continues to play with this aggression and poise on both sides of the ball, Brown’s decision may have already been made for him.