From time to time, Yakhouba Diawara is teased by his Denver Nuggets teammates about his Pepperdine roots. Is real basketball played there? On particularly harsh days, that might be “Is any basketball played there?”
But there is inspiration in Diawara’s story.
Undrafted, he arrived in Denver last season as a rough-around-the-edges rookie, yet started 19 games. Those starts mostly came when Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith were suspended, and Diawara proved to be a capable fill-in. But after getting a taste of everyday work, Diawara’s minutes declined as the season wore on. This season he is in a similar situation, starting games while the Nuggets wait for Anthony Carter and Chucky Atkins’ health to improve. Last year, the return of regular players meant a return to the bench for Diawara. This year, he feels more equipped to stay in the regular rotation.
“To hold on you’ve got to be confident; you have to come and work,” Diawara said. “That’s what I’m trying to do every day. You have to come and work and make the coach say, ‘I need this guy on the team.’ ”
His play is turning heads and may create harder decisions for Nuggets coach George Karl to make in the near future. Carter is expected to return to the lineup from a broken hand next week. Atkins, who is rehabbing a severely strained groin, is scheduled to be back approximately three weeks after Carter.
In a little more than one season, Diawara, a native of France, has made his name on defense. Most nights he is placed on the opposing team’s top perimeter scorer. Increasingly, he is expected to shut that player down with few problems.
“We’re trying to groom him as a Bruce Bowen-type of defender,” Karl said.
That’s not all.
“I like the way he’s more physical,” Karl continued. “I think he’s more confident that the referee isn’t going to blow the whistle on him. He’s a great defender.”
Tuesday’s assignment was Chicago’s Ben Gordon. Diawara, with pitch-in help from teammates, held the Bulls’ top scorer to six points on 2-of-14 shooting. The Bulls were minus-30 when Gordon was on the court.
“I’m just trying to come in and work and help the team the way I can, with defense,” Diawara said.
But he knows it is his offense that will keep him on the court beyond relief status.
Last season, as solid as Diawara was defensively, he was equally shaky offensively. His 4.4 points per game can be disregarded because he is not a scorer, but his 34.2 shooting percentage, including 28.8 from the 3-point line, was hard to ignore.
Teams played off of Diawara, daring him to shoot. He usually obliged by missing the shot. This season, his offense has taken a positive turn. In 12 games (10 starts) Diawara is shooting 49 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range.
“When I’m open I feel more confident this year about my offense,” Diawara said. “I’m shooting the ball much better from last year, and I’m more confident on the court.”
His improvement is not going unnoticed.
“He works hard every day,” forward Kenyon Martin said. “He works on his game and it shows in the game.”
Last season was Linas Kleiza’s second in the NBA. He knows the huge difference a year makes in a player’s development.
“You grow a lot,” Kleiza said. “Sometimes it’s tough. Sometimes it doesn’t really reflect right at the beginning of the year. He got his opportunity, and I think he’s doing a great job.”
Consistency is the key. According to Martin, concern about starting should be the last thing on Diawara’s mind. “You can’t worry about the time you don’t play,” he said. “You have to worry about the time that you’re on the court. I think he’s doing a great job of taking advantage of that.”
Karl predicts Diawara’s minutes will fluctuate, but adds that as long as he’s consistent, he’ll see more court time even after everyone returns from injuries.
“Some nights he’s going to be a 25-minute player; some nights he’s going to be a 15-minute player,” Karl said.
Diawara vows to stay ready.
“They gave me the opportunity to come in and start with all of those great players,” Diawara said. “The main thing is to stay in the starting lineup, to try to prove it every night by playing good defense and try to make the open shot and help the team win. When the team is winning, everything is good.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
