William Guillory on Cheick Diallo

By Katie Morrison

William Guillory wrote a feature on Pelicans power forward Cheick Diallo on March 18, 2018, for The New Orleans Times-Picayune on nola.com.

The story explains the energy and amusement that Diallo brings to his team with his unique celebrations after each of his dunks, with the “Wakanda Forever” gesture from the “Black Panther” movie becoming his signature move. After his first celebration was well received by both his teammates and fans against the Washington Wizards on March 9, Diallo said he plans to continue doing it every time.

Guillory also explains that this energy off the bench from Diallo has been a major boost for the Pelicans. Diallo has proven his ability on offense, and his recent defensive performance against Boston has made him a source of unexpected production for New Orleans.

I enjoyed how Guillory related the liveliness of Diallo’s celebrations to the energy he is providing his team off the bench. I also liked that readers really get a sense of the impact Diallo is having on New Orleans with the use of quotes from Jrue Holiday and Anthony Davis that comment on his energy.