Sam Presti ‘Very Pleased’ With How OKC Thunder’s Ousmane Dieng Ended the Season

Oklahoma City’s young forward still has loads of potential after quiet first two seasons in the NBA.

Dec 11, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) dunks against the Utah Jazz during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

All season long, Oklahoma City’s impressive collection of young talent was on display. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren spearheaded the team to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, and all three of them are 25 years old or younger.

Cason Wallace exceeded expectations as a rookie, and Aaron Wiggins and Jaylin Williams both carved out valuable roles too. Everyone who follows the NBA understands how bright Oklahoma City’s future is. There are players behind the seasons though, too, that have potential to make a huge jump in the near future.

One of those players is second-year forward Ousmane Dieng, who hasn’t had a chance to shine quite yet. For the Thunder, at least. Dieng was the star of Oklahoma City’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue. He led the team to a G League Finals win and was awarded the finals MVP.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke highly of the young prospect during his exit interview this week.

“I think the last couple months of the Blue season were huge for him,” Presti said. “Playing in those types of games, carrying that kind of responsibility. He also -- he cranked it up developmentally during the postseason for us where he was -- we flipped his summer program and got it going early because we thought he's going to be potentially playing for the national team so we need to get as much done with him as possible. But I was very pleased with how he ended the season. I was very pleased with how he ended the season.”

In 26 games with the Blue this season, Dieng averaged 17.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. He shot 48.2% from the floor. The pinnacle of his season was the G League Finals, where he totaled 25 points on 9-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-6 from 3-point range. He also added six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.

He’s a versatile player on both ends of the floor and is starting to impact winning. As many fans suggest different forwards that could help the Thunder win, the best candidate could be waiting to break out soon. Dieng checks all the boxes for the perfect power forward for Oklahoma City if he can live up to his potential. He’s still young, so nothing is a given. The size, athleticism, and shooting potential is there though.

“Like every young player, he has so many things to work on,” Presti said. “When we drafted him, he was almost like a year young for that draft. We kind of knew that his timeline and his pathway would maybe be different, certainly from Dub (Jalen Williams) because Dub was somebody coming in that we thought could get on the court sooner. But Ous has responded pretty well. I'm pleased with him. I think he's made some big strides here.”

He’ll have a chance to make huge strides this summer that could go a long way. Whether it’s playing for his national team or training with the Thunder, it’s a big offseason for the former lottery pick.

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