OKC Thunder Wing Lindy Waters III Says Ousmane Dieng is 'Ready for his Opportunity'

In 2022, the Oklahoma City Thunder used three first round picks to move up in the NBA Draft and select French forward Ousmane Dieng.

With good positional size and length, solid defensive upside and a history at the point guard position, Dieng was seemingly the perfect upside swing for Thunder General Manager Sam Presti.

Since entering the NBA, however, Dieng has struggled to find his role in Mark Daigneault's system, spending most of his first two seasons playing with the Oklahoma City Blue of the G League. In 2023-24, Dieng played 33 NBA games, averaging four points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 11.1 minutes per game.

Despite being listed at 6-foot-10, the 21-year-old wing player has struggled to hit shots and deal with the physicality of the NBA. The young Frenchman shot just 42.2% from the field and 30% from 3-point range this season.

In the G League, Dieng performed much better and seemed to have more confidence, averaging 17.2 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. After being relegated to the G League this year, Dieng and Thunder teammate Lindy Waters III helped lead the OKC Blue to a championship, taking down the Maine Celtics.

Not only did Dieng hit a clutch buzzer-beater to help the Blue get to the G League Finals, the then-20-year-old was named Finals MVP after an outstanding performance that helped the OKC Blue take home their first-ever title.

In his exit interview on Sunday, Waters III praised Dieng, saying that he is confident the Frenchman will be ready to make the most of his opportunity when the time comes.

"I've seen him grow a ton this year," Waters III said. "He got an opportunity with the G-League as well. But he comes in, and he works every single day. I believe he'll be ready for his opportunity when his number is called."

This opportunity may be coming over the offseason, with veteran wing Gordon Hayward's contract expiring and the Thunder needing to replace Hayward's minutes off the bench. If Oklahoma City elects to draft a big man instead of a wing player, Dieng will have a great chance to work his way into the team's rotation.

If Dieng is more confident and able to handle the strength and physicality of the NBA, he would likely be able to contribute for OKC both as a defender and rebounder. WIth a small lineup that struggled to rebound in crucial moments against the Dallas Mavericks, adding a 6-foot-10 21-year-old to the mix may help quell some of these issues.

Dieng also believes that he is ready for an opportunity in the Thunder's rotation, adding that he has improved since the beginning of the season.

"I feel like I'm a way better player than at the beginning of the season, especially the last two months," Dieng said in his exit interview. "I've grown leaps and bounds. I think like the G-League playoffs really made me progress like how to play, like just brought a lot out in me in important games, things like that."

While Dieng may have played well in the G League, he still didn't shoot well from 3-point range, which could prevent him from fitting well within Daigneault's offensive scheme. In 33 contests with the Blue this season, Dieng shot 28.8% from beyond the arc on 5.2 attempts per game.

Dieng also mentioned that he is planning to work on his shot over the summer, saying that he has worked extensively with Thunder shooting coach Chip Engelland. If Engelland is able to help Dieng continue to improve his shot heading into his third year in the NBA, there is a good chance that the former lottery pick will earn a spot in Oklahoma City's rotation next season.

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