Thunder Forward Ousmane Dieng Offers Watchability in Holmgren’s Absence

For some Thunder fans, second overall selection Chet Holmgren was a huge reason to tune in for the 2022-23 season.

With a loaded Western Conference and OKC a few years away from true contention, tuning into new talent and how it fits with the team is a way to stay locked into the product.

Despite Holmgren being out for the 2022-23 season with a Lisfranc injury, Ousmane Dieng offers some of the same watchability that Holmgren does.

Dieng and Holmgren are by no means the same player, but they do similar things at times.

For starters, Dieng is 6-foot-10, 205-pounds and even more mobile than Holmgren.

Dieng is a legitimate guard packed inside a 6-foot-10 frame. Dieng was a skilled 6-foot-3 guard when Sam Presti first discovered and watched him. A massive growth spurt later, he ended up a lottery selection without necessarily having the immediate stats to back it up.

With length to be a passable defender and scorer, but advanced skills as a ball-handling playmaker, Dieng has untapped star potential further down the road. At just 19-years-old, Dieng will likely struggle in early roles and different situations.

But he'll still offer that same awe factor Holmgren can at times. A step-back three here, a chase down block there. Being everywhere on the court for a 5-minute span.

He’s close-to as polarizing as fellow forward Aleksej Pokusevki, but not quite. He’ll make legitimate plays and have a tangible impact, messy step-back threes and chase down blocks aside.

Dieng may not fit in right away, but as the season progresses he’ll slowly being to weave his way into the rotation and into truly valuable minutes, similarly to his in Australia. And it should be fun to watch.

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