Ousmane Dieng's Strong Stretch a Sign of Growth

Oklahoma City's second lottery pick is starting to find a groove late in the season.

When Ousmane Dieng was selected with the 11th pick in the NBA draft, he was always supposed to a project player with a high ceiling. The bulk of his rookie season was taken away from him with a wrist injury, but ever since Dieng has returned to the floor, he's getting more and more comfortable.

The do-it-all wing was eased into action against the Jazz in his first game back with the Thunder in a month, and responded with an efficient nine points. Since then, Dieng has scored in double-figures three straight games and is quietly putting together the best min-stretch of his career.

In Oklahoma City's back-to-back against Utah, he added 12 points on 4-of-6 and 2-of-3 from 3-point range, helping the Thunder grab a win. Then, against the defending champion Golden State Warriors, Dieng contributed 11 points, five rebounds and two steals, once again drilling two triples.

Dieng's latest outing was less efficient, but a sign of growth. He was aggressive on offense and given space to work. Oklahoma City fell behind in a hurry after halftime, and the score turned South quickly. The one positive to come away from the loss, though, was the freedom Dieng was able to play with.

He recorded a career-high 28 minutes, totaling 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists. He shot 5-of-13 from the floor and 2-of-6 from 3-point range. The more Dieng is able to experiment on the court in extended playing time, the better for the Thunder's future.

Sam Presti has always been surgical when it comes to the NBA Draft, and he used first round picks to move up and select Dieng. He's still a big part of the future in Oklahoma City and flashes like his recent stretch are a prime example of why. He has serious potential on both sides of the floor, and has found a different way to show it in each of the last four games.

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