Thunder Rookie Ousmane Dieng to Miss Time With Injury
Oklahoma City announced Thursday that rookie forward Ousmane Dieng will miss at least the next six weeks with a small, non-displaced fracture in his right wrist. The official report noted he will be re-evaluated after that six-week time period.
Dieng's injury was suffered during the OKC Blue's road game in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Wednesday night, where the youngster was in the midst of another impressive performance.
Before injury, his play had earned him a recent call-up with the Thunder. In his time with the Blue, Dieng has averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.2 blocks. His fluidity and ability to both handle the ball and shoot from long range were big surprises. He was thought of similar to Aleksej Pokusevski, a big time project with a massive ceiling. So far, though, Dieng is well on track.
In limited time with the Thunder, Dieng has done what he's been asked to do: take open 3-pointers and push the pace in transition. In two of his last three games in the NBA, he totaled double-figured twice, ending on a 15-point, five rebound performance.
As his confidence continues to grow, Dieng will only improve. In a few short months and a trip to the G League, his confidence has already shot up significantly. Because of the injury, though, Dieng's reps will obviously come to a halt. It's tough for someone who was in the thick of a promising rookie season, but studying the X's and O's from the sideline the next few weeks definitely won't hurt.
Even though he hasn't received extended minutes or opportunities on the court, the Thunder have to be pleased with the potential Dieng has put on display. Forwards with that kind of length simply shouldn't be that fluid or fast. Oklahoma City will certainly be awaiting his return from injury.
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