'He's Getting to His Spots!' Thunder Coach Mark Daigneault Praises Developing Ousmane Dieng

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng has already made big strides from where he was a year ago, and that hasn't gone unnoticed by Mark Daigneault and company.

Not four days ago, Bleacher Report suggested that the Oklahoma City Thunder place forward Ousmane Dieng on the trade block. 

The article, which tackled the tough question of figuring out which one player from every NBA team would be the best move to trade, didn't have much to go off of, however. Nothing mentioned Dieng's playstyle, nor his impact. 

Just that he could be used to bring on a "difference-maker" from elsewhere. 

While non Thunder watchers might not see the flaw in putting Dieng up on the trade market, those who pay attention to Oklahoma City were puzzled. Dieng is still very young with plenty of room to grow and a high ceiling. Why trade him? 

According to Bleacher Report, the answer is simple. If the Thunder want to compete, they need a difference maker. But Dieng is an example of that statement's inaccuracy.

Last season, Dieng averaged just 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds on poor shooting splits of 42 percent from the floor and under 30 percent from deep. He didn't quite live up to his lottery hype, but he also didn't let his seemingly down season deter him from wanting to improve. And that he did. 

“I think he did a great job on his body over the summer," Thunder coach Mark Daigneualt said of the now-second-year forward. "He’s stronger on his drives… He’s getting to his spots on the floor that I didn’t think got to last year.”

This summer, Dieng averaged 14.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, four assists and a steal per game while shooting 50% from the floor and over 35% from 3-point range in multiple Summer League appearances — all figures that improved in just one offseason. 

Dieng's ability to adapt has also shown in the preseason. Through two games, the forward is averaging just a hair under his point figure from the summer, with all the other stats remaining noticeably similar. The French forward is picking up where he left off.

On the court, the forward looks poised and confident in his shot. His impact is broadened by his height, and that should only continue to increase as he gets more comfortable with the Thunder. 

And if last season was any indication, the Thunder will continue to use him and help him develop — putting that over win-now "difference-makers" — after all, it's gotten this far. Now, it's up to Dieng to prove Oklahoma City right in its choice to stick with him.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind our coverage.