Ousmane Dieng's Improvement Clear in Win Over Chicago

Oklahoma City had plenty of help from its bench unit on Wednesday night, and Ousmane Dieng was a big part of that.

Ousmane Dieng has always looked the part on the basketball court. The young wing from France stands 6-foot-10 with guard-like abilities. His shot has always been smooth as butter, even if it wasn't finding the bottom of the net. In Oklahoma City's opener, he put it all together.

It was nothing eye-popping, and the casual box score watcher likely thought nothing of it, but Dieng had a big role in Oklahoma City's opening night win over Chicago.

He was the first player off the bench in the Thunder's new-look lineup and played 15 efficient minutes. Dieng recorded nine points on 3-of-5 from 3-point range and looked completely comfortable on the offensive end. Defensively, Dieng was able to switch on anyone up and down the Bulls lineup and provided the Thunder with so much versatility. He was a plus-two and added two rebounds.

It's clear that the Thunder is trying to get Dieng involved and comfortable within the system. The biggest difference from a season ago is how he looked in control. The young wing no longer looked like a deer in the headlights and was able to settle in early to help Oklahoma City on both ends of the floor.

His development will be a big priority moving forward, but impactful minutes this season would be the cherry on top. He can be the connector on the floor that Oklahoma City needs and doesn't need the ball in his hands at all times to score. Defensively, he gives the Thunder another player who can guard the NBA's best wings and bother stars with his length.

It truly seems like Dieng is ahead of schedule in terms of his progress as a player and he's starting to look more and more like the player the Thunder saw when drafting him. It could be the start of his first impactful season in the NBA.

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