Dieng’s 22-Point Outburst Shows Promising Improvement

Ousmane Dieng has shown some deficiencies in his game since being drafted, but Thursday showed a step forward.

Ousmane Dieng’s rookie season wasn’t the easiest transition for the young wing.

Dieng, originally from France, played with the New Zealand Breakers before being drafted to the Thunder in the 2022 NBA Draft. Dieng was always viewed as a project to fully reach his ceiling at the next level, and he showed flashes of the potential he has.

At other times Dieng showed his deficiencies. He spent multiple stints in the G League where he was able to focus on his development without the pressure of an NBA rotation. However, twice for long periods of time, Dieng injured his wrist and had to sit on the sidelines.

In his rookie season, he played 39 games at the NBA level he averaged 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game. Dieng isn’t fighting for a roster spot like some other members of the OKC Summer League squad, but he is still fighting for a role and minutes.

Dieng, much like his rookie season, has shown highs and lows during the Summer League. However, Thursday's contest was full of ups. He showed off his offensive skills and was everywhere on defense. He scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and also added 10 rebounds to his stat line. The French wing showed major improvement and fluidity Thursday night, early in the Summer League Dieng showed some hesitation on taking over and making plays. He does still make some sloppy mistakes, which can be expected for a player in Dieng’s position.

For him, Thursday night was a sign of a step forward in his development. If Dieng can continue to build on his performance going through the remainder of the offseason and into the regular season, he could see himself earn a bigger role in the rotation.

The Thunder could use Dieng in a bigger role as a wing who can create offense and make plays at all levels. Depth at that position has been a thin in the OKC rotation at times, but as Dieng continues his development his role could be massive for the Thunder, and that was in full effect Thursday in OKC’s Summer League game.

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