Ousmane Dieng is Oklahoma City’s Most Intriguing Project Yet

French wing Ousmane Dieng has untapped star upside on the horizon.

There haven’t been many legitimate project picks in the Thunder’s young history.

Aleksej Pokusevski was likely the most ambitious. Darius Bazley and Terrance Ferguson were technically valued beyond their drafted skill levels, but not quite worthy of legitimate project status.

French wing Ousmane Dieng, taken No. 11 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, is the Thunder’s biggest and most intriguing gamble yet.

In years past, OKC hasn’t been in the lottery enough to take swings. But in 2022, with two selections and the ammo to pick up a third, Presti capitalized on the moment, grabbing Dieng with three future first rounders.

At 6-foot-10, 205-pounds, Dieng has indescribable upside.

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Second overall pick Chet Holmgren is often described as having guard skills. In reality, Holmgren is a lengthy forward who has advanced skills relative to other big men.

Dieng however, is a legitimate guard packed inside a 6-foot-10 frame. Dieng was a skilled 6-foot-3 guard when Sam Presti first discovered and watched him. A massive growth spurt later, he ended up a lottery selection without necessarily having the immediate stats to back it up.

With length to be a passable defender and scorer, but advanced skills as a ball-handling playmaker, Dieng has untapped star potential further down the road. At just 19-years-old, Dieng will likely struggle in early roles and different situations.

It’s hard to see how he pans out without the ball in his hands, but should he, the Thunder’s ceiling will be directly elevated by Dieng. With Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, a reliable star in Dieng could push the Thunder further than they’ve seen.

For now, Dieng will likely see spot minutes on an inconsistent Thunder bench unit, or be relegated to the G-League to command games. Neither of which should hinder his development.

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