Ousmane Dieng Will be Able to Thrive With Both Starters and Bench

Thunder rookie Ousmane Dieng has a complementary play style that can be utilized in may fashions.

With the young Oklahoma City Thunder having a deep amount of talent, the Thunder have been able to utilize the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA G League. The players that benefited most from their assignments have been Jaylin Williams and Ousmane Dieng.

Of course, recently, Tre Mann got a short, two game assignment that seemed to have helped him, but Dieng, pre-injury, was down there for long-term improvement.

Dieng has played 11 games with the Blue and 14 games with the Thunder, so we’ve been able to see flashes of how he could benefit the Thunder long-term with their current roster situation.

To start, Dieng’s G League numbers begin with his 15.8 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game and 4.1 assists per game. He’s done so on 45.3% efficiency from the field and 34.3% on 3-pointers. Those are quite the solid numbers picked up in 34.7 minutes per game for the 19-year-old.

First off, he’s shown his ability to rebound at 6-foot-10 with his 8.3 rebounds per game, which could greatly help him when he’s with the Thunder. In the future, he could be a potential fit at the power forward spot alongside Chet Holmgren, and his added rebounding and size could be a big reason why.

Next, looking at his ability to score with his raw talent is impressive. His 3-point shooting is further along than some may have expected, and we can credit Chip Engelland for that. At his age, he’s got plenty of time to continue to polish his scoring.

Dieng has the potential to score similarly to Paul George, who is incredibly smooth for his height, and he can also become a potentially solid spot up 3-point shooter. His shooting can complement the starting lineup, whereas his shot creation and improved on-ball scoring will benefit him when coming off the bench and helping create good looks for that unit.

Either way, Dieng should be able to progress enough to become an impact player who has a place in the rotation no matter the circumstance, and he will be here to take minutes next season.

Unfortunately, he remains out with his wrist injury, but his progression will be something to continue following as the season progresses. 

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