When Mark Pope recruited Mo Dioubate through the transfer portal, he didn’t have to conduct extensive scouting. In the Crimson Tide’s victory in the SEC Tournament, the former Alabama forward scored 13 points and held Otega Oweh to just two points when the Cats visited Tuscaloosa last season. In his interview with Jon Rothstein on Wednesday, Pope even went so far as to liken Dioubate’s defensive prowess to that of NBA All-Star Draymond Green.
Regarding Dioubate, Pope remarked, “He punished us.” It wasn’t a good time for us because, man, he punished us three games in a row this season. I hate to say it. On low volume, he shot the ball at an absurd clip. Although he only shoots 46% of three-pointers, he is obviously an excellent defender from one to five, which is where he was most dangerous. I have a strong defensive Draymond Green vibe.
When it comes to pick and roll ball handling, this young man’s ball screen-derived offense is in the top 2% of the nation despite having fewer than 20 possessions. His capacity to make decisions is frightening; while it makes me happy as a coach, the opponent finds it intimidating.
Dioubate shot 61.7 percent from the field, 46.2 percent from three-point range (12-26 overall), and 60.9 percent from the free-throw line in his second season at Alabama, averaging 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists. Last season, the 6’7″ and 215-pound forward recorded 42 assists, a statistic that Pope’s system is probably going to increase. Pope stated in the press release announcing the inclusion that he sees Dioubate as a starting point.
Pope told Rothstein, “He’s a guy who can really stir the drink for us.” “He is specifically designed for what we do because of the way we flip the game and our bigs are responsible for making offensive decisions. After that, he just rams his large shoulders through your chest. He has exceptional physicality for both defense and attack. He is a gamer, then.
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