Oscar Tshiebwe 'dominating' the boards in the G League for Indiana Mad Ants

Tshiebwe is putting up eye-popping numbers in the G League

Indiana Pacers two-way contract center Oscar Tshiebwe is off to an eye-popping start in the G League with the Indiana Mad Ants. The rookie big man is putting up rebounding numbers that have his teammates asking who he is even playing against.

Tshiebwe started off his time with the Mad Ants late last month with training camp, and with the Pacers being mostly healthy this year, he has remained in the G League since. He's been working on his skill with the ball and his defense, and his work on the less glamorous end of the floor is where he is focusing on taking strides.

Where he doesn't need to take strides in on the glass. Tshiebwe is already putting up historic numbers in the G League — in his first-ever game pro game, he grabbed 23 rebounds against the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 

That was the second-most in Mad Ants history. He tied Tyler Hansbrough with 23 and was one off of tying Rob Kurz for the franchise record. Tshiebwe was impressive, and Indiana won by 15.

Tshiebwe didn't even know he was one rebound off of the franchise record. He believes that he would have gotten it if he knew. Either way, he still had a ridiculous game, and the rookie big man wasn't even aware of his performance.

"I did not feel like I grabbed 23. When they told me at the end I was surprised," Tshiebwe said. He believes that his big night came from hard work and trying to help the team win.

So far, the Mad Ants have been a great spot for the 23-year old. He loves the team and coaching staff and believes they can do great things. Through three weeks the group is 2-1, and they're a fourth quarter meltdown away from 3-0. They've been impressive.

Tshiebwe has been a big part of that. His rebounding changes the game and gives his team extra possessions. Through three games, the Mad Ants have more shot attempts than their opponent in every game they have played.

"It's amazing. He's so strong with the ball," Mad Ants head coach Tom Hankins said earlier this week. "A lot of times, our best offense is to just shoot it and let him go get it."

After his 23-rebound performance on opening night, Tshiebwe heard from several of his Pacers teammates. They were all impressed, but none of them were surprised. Throughout training camp and into the preseason, they all saw Tshiebwe dominate the boards.

"A lot of them texted me, they were like 'come on Oscar, are you playing with kids?' Tyrese [Haliburton] texted me and said 'bro, are you playing with high school kids?' I said no, I just went beastmode," Tshiebwe said of the messages he got from his teammates. Then, unprompted, he started to share his mindset about rebounding.

"You've got to think different. They say you are who you believe, and you think who you are. For me, when I go play, I think I'm different. I don't think they can stop me. That mentality carries me to another level," he said.

His technique on the boards is impressive. He's studied which direction the ball is most likely to bounce off of the rim given where the shooter is, and it helps him get in position. He combines that with effort and strength, a mixture that makes the big man lethal on the boards.

He can't accept failure. He doesn't watch his stats or look at the scoreboard during games, but he can tell when his numbers are low. During the Mad Ants pre-season scrimmage, Tshiebwe had zero rebounds at halftime before coming out hungry in the second half.

"When they told me 'how many rebounds did you think you had in the first half when you played them?' I said 'maybe three or four'. They said 'zero'. I said 'no way'... I started dominating."

Tshiebwe missed playing in games and being able to battle on the hardwood. He loves being around the game, and around his teammates. His attitude and ability make him a well-liked Mad Ant.

He said that he and fellow two-way contract players Kendall Brown and Isaiah Wong motivate each other. Tshiebwe also got recent motivation from his college coach at Kentucky, John Calipari. Calipari told him to go out and dominate, which is Thsiebwe's favorite world.

"To dominate, that's the mentality everybody has got to go with," he said.

Tshiebwe followed up his 23-rebound outing with 13 boards against the Windy City Bulls. The very next night, he had 20 against the Grand Rapids Gold. Nobody has been able to keep the first-year big man away from the ball.

"I think we all knew what he was going to do," Pacers center Isaiah Jackson, who knew Tshiebwe before due to their Kentucky ties, said. "It's still unbelievable how he translates from college to the G League."

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle agreed. "This is not surprising in the least. I predict he'll have a 30 rebound game before it's over," he said. 31 is the G League's all-time single-game rebound record.

Hankins and the Mad Ants are trying to get Tshiebwe to be better when he steps out on offense, and he's got work to do on his pick-and-roll defense. He is a developing player, after all. Hankins also said he wants Tshiebwe to play a little meaner, which is hard to imagine when you look at his rebounding numbers.

Tshiebwe, who is currently averaging 23 points, 18.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, knows he needs to get better. He thinks that wearing goggles, which will help with his lifelong vision problems, will help. If he becomes a better player, it's hard to predict how high his numbers could go.

The Pacers rookie big man doesn't care about the numbers though. He just wants to win. "To dominate and to bring a victory," Tshiebwe said on Monday when asked what his goals are for his next game. They went on to win by 23.

That mentality will serve the Congolese big man well. He may be needed in the NBA at times going forward after Indiana bought out big man Daniel Theis. If he is, the Pacers will know they are getting a rebounder with an endless motor and flawless mentality.

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