OKC Thunder Forward Sidelined Multiple Weeks with Finger Injury

The Oklahoma City Thunder have sidelined Ousmane Dieng for at least 3-to-4 weeks with a finger injury that he sustained on assignment with the OKC Blue. Dieng joins a lengthy Thunder injury report.

Ousmane Dieng is pictured during the Thunder media day at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder have not seen hte same injury luck as they had a year ago. Last year outside of a few bumps and brusies no one missed time. The Thunder were the healthiest team in the NBA and played the most amount of minutes together comparatively.

This season, not so much. Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe and now Ousmane Dieng have all missed time through what will be 17 games on Monday.

On Sunday, the Thunder announced Dieng suffered a small fracture in his right ring finger during the Oklahoma City Blue's contest on Nov. 22 against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers inside the Paycom Center.

This was Dieng's first game in the G League this season and he only logged eight minutes before sustaining this injury which the team says will sideline him at least three to four weeks before he is re-evaluated.

While a re-evaluation date is no a guaranteed return date, as seen by Hartenstein this week, an injury on the hand is the easiest to come back from comparatively to more disastrous injuries.

Due to the lengthy injury reports early this season, Dieng was a part of the Thunder's rotation to this point this season the 21 year old is averaging 3.5 points, 2.6 rebounds. 0.8 assists and 1.0 stocks per game while shooting 34 percent from the floor and 25 percent form deep in 16 contests.

The Thunder will have to navigate through another injury though, this should be the most managable of the bunch as the third year forward only logged 11.6 minutes per game but in the last three contests saw 3 minutes, 2 minutes and 11 minutes worth of action.

Thunder Injury Update:  Forward Ousmane Dieng sustained a small fracture in his right ring finger during the Oklahoma City Blue game on Nov. 22.  He will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.

Thunder PR

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) November 25, 2024

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