Thunder Rookies Shine Again For OKC Blue
As Oklahoma City gets ready to kick off a Holiday home stretch featuring seven games in a row at the Paycom Center, it’s still business as usual for the Thunder’s G League affiliate. The OKC Blue fell to the Salt Lake City Stars 119-105, but the story of the game was once again centered around the Thunder’s young prospects.
Ousmane Dieng has been on a red-hot stretch in both the NBA and the G League, and Tuesday night was no different. The Thunder’s lottery pick totaled an impressive 21 points, 16 rebounds and five assists. He’s been stuffing the stat sheet lately, but a double-double in that fashion wasn’t expected.
The best part about Dieng’s G League stint is all the new things he’s been able to try out. The young wing has been able to experiment with step-back 3-pointers and shot creation to the max, while still developing the ins-and-outs of his game. Both his ball handling and shot making have been better than advertised to this point, and Dieng’s ceiling seems to be increasing with every game.
In addition to Dieng, Oklahoma City’s second round center, Jaylin Williams, had a big game too. The big man exploded for 24 points, five rebounds and three steals. He has unique creativity for a post player and finds ways to make the team better. Tuesday, he was counted on to score and really delivered.
During his G League stint, Dieng has averaged 16.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists. He’s drawn praise from reporters and scouts across the league and seems to have serious potential on both ends of the floor. It might not be long before he’s back with the Thunder, growing as part of the future core.
Dieng and Williams have both experienced success with Thunder this season, too. With Oklahoma City’s questionable depth in the front court currently, staying ready for a call-up will be crucial for this duo. Opportunities will continue to arise on the Thunder.
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