Rookie Deep Dive: Ousmane Dieng
Ousmane Dieng was selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft for a reason.
Standing at 6-foot-10 with a wingspan measuring north of seven feet, the French product oozed potential down the stretch of his 23-game stint in the NBL, intriguing scouts with his mobility and effort on defense as well as his glimpses and flashes of enticing playmaking and shot-making ability.
Now, at just 19-years-old, having completed his first season in the NBA, the lanky Thunder forward is continuing to tantalize fans, the Thunder coaching staff, and GM Sam Presti with stretches of awesome on-ball defense, offensive flashes, and the promise of what his next year might hold.
Dieng’s averages this season aren’t going to impress, however, as the Thunder eased him into the big leagues with less than 15 minutes per game with a usage percentage below 16. In 39 games, that resulted in just 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists on 42% shooting from the field and just 26.5% from beyond the arc.
But Dieng also played with the Oklahoma City Blue. Already juggling the development of so many others, the Thunder decided to bounce him back and forth between their active roster and their G League system where they would give him more rope to grow his game.
In his 20 games with the Blue, Dieng shined in a way he couldn’t with the Thunder, scoring 16.5 points, grabbing 8.0 rebounds, and dishing out 3.7 assists in 34.6 minutes per contest on a 22.6% usage rate. His efficiency was notably better as well as he shot 45.3% from the floor and 34.6% on 6.5 3-point attempts per game.
Here’s what stood out the most about Dieng’s rookie season:
3-Point Shooting
If there is one thing a forward needs to be able to do in the modern NBA, it’s knocking down 3-point shots. And although Dieng shot just 26.5% from outside this season, there’s reason to be excited and moving forward.
Throughout his time in both the NBA and the G League, Dieng exuded confidence when taking 3-point shots, showing off a relatively smooth and quick release, a little range, and a willingness to shoot. That’s a great sign and something he should be able to build on next season.
If Dieng can get to the point where he is at least a league average catch-and-shoot guy, it will really allow him to open up the rest of his game, allowing him more opportunity to get into the teeth of the defense to leverage his passing and finishing ability.
Defense
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Dieng impressed with his defense in year one but left a lot to be desired. The first round pick has great mobility, size, and length yet that only resulted in a steal and block rate just above one percent.
Going forward, it would be nice to see Dieng be a tad more aggressive and proactive as a defender.
Still, the tall forward consistently flashed the ability to stay in front of his matchups and swallow them up with his long arms to negate buckets. Dieng’s length also translated into steals at times, rotating over to use his length to turn drives into turnovers or to block shots at the rim.
Ball-handling & Passing
At 6-foot-10, Dieng has the ability to see over the defense and make a variety of passes to cutters, rollers, or open shooters lurking on the perimeter. And though a work in progress, he also boasts a smooth handle featuring crossovers and hesitation dribbles, allowing him to lull his defenders into a lazy stance before making his move.
Arguably his most underrated skill, Dieng’s vision may be his best trait as a player. In the NBA, Dieng threw 46 assists and just 26 turnovers, a stellar 1.77 ratio. In the G League, it was a bit worse at 1.16 as he was asked to do more as a ball-handler and playmaker.
But the important thing to note is the type of passes he is attempting at this stage in his career. Whether he needs to throw it over the top, skip it across court, or fire a fastball to a streaking backdoor cutter, he’s not afraid and that bodes well for his outlook as a creator.
If he can continue to rein in his handle and hone his passing ability, the sky's the limit for Dieng’s ability to create.
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