Ousmane Dieng Continues to Develop in Consistent Minutes

The progress of Ousmane Dieng hasn’t been as rapid as that of Jalen Williams or even Chet Holmgren. Unlike current rookie Cason Wallace, he hasn’t been able to lock down a spot in the starting lineup, and he hasn’t had consistent playing time for the majority of the season. But when the Thunder drafted him, they understood what was ahead. They were aware that he was a project player who, when ready, might make an excellent role player. Nor have the expectations altered. Dieng’s playing time throughout this current run of play demonstrated and was further cemented by Mark Daigneault’s remarks from last week. “He is exactly where he should be. Young when he entered the NBA, Daigneault told reporters covering the Thunder. “For several reasons, we weren’t expecting (him) to enter the court immediately away.primarily physical We’re just quietly attempting to maintain his advancement.

Dieng’s responsibilities have been growing as the Thunder discreetly move him along. It’s been difficult to settle in between swinging back and forth between the Blue and the Thunder and attempting to become a regular member of a premier NBA team. With the exception of Saturday’s disastrous game against the Mavericks for the Thunder as a whole, Dieng’s recent run of games has been encouraging. Dieng has currently participated in six straight Oklahoma City games. Even though he hasn’t played much, regular court time is encouraging. He has two of his greatest performances of the season and has scored in five straight games. Dieng added 11 points and four assists on 4-of-5 shooting against Charlotte, and on the In just ten minutes on the road in Utah, he scored eight points, grabbed one steal, and blocked one.

He could greatly benefit this team on both ends if he could just play the role of net neutrality for the Thunder and not

turn the ball over. Despite Dieng’s lackluster rebounding skills, the Thunder

can play large thanks to his 6-foot-10 height. He is moving effectively off the

ball and has been a reliable rim runner. The Thunder have a lot of versatility

because to his exceptional length on defense. Though he hasn’t quite turned

the corner like he did in the Summer League, he is still making enough

progress to be able to play on the court for brief periods of time. His

development has been subtle, as Daigneault mentioned, but it’s beginning

to appear remarkably successful. For the youthful wing, the post-All Star break

stretch will be crucial. If he can keep making an impact, particularly on

defense, he could be a viable option for Oklahoma City in the postseason.