Ousmane Dieng’s development hasn’t been supercharged like Jalen Williams or even Chet Holmgren. He hasn’t been able to secure a spot in the regular rotation like current rookie Cason Wallace, and his playing time has been spotty most of the season.
But the Thunder knew the task at hand when drafting him. They knew he was a project player that could be the perfect role player when ready. And the expectation hasn’t changed. Mark Daigneault solidified that with comments last week and proved it with Dieng’s playing time over this recent stretch.
“He’s right where he’s supposed to be. He came into the NBA young,” Daigneault told Thunder reporters. “We weren’t expecting (him) to jump into the court right away for a number of reasons, mainly physical… We’re just quietly trying to keep him progressing.”
As the Thunder continue to bring Dieng along quietly, his responsibilities have been increasing. Between bouncing around from the Blue to the Thunder and trying to fit in on a top team in the NBA, it’s been hard to find footing. But Dieng’s recent stretch of games have been promising — aside from Saturday’s game against the Mavericks, which was a disaster for the Thunder as a whole.
As it stands, Dieng has played in six straight games for Oklahoma City. Although his minutes have been minimal, consistent court time is a promising sign.
He’s scored in five straight games and has produced two of his best outings of the season. Against Charlotte, Dieng added 11 points and four assists on 4-of-5 shooting, and on the road at Utah he contributed eight points, one steal and one block in just 10 minutes.
If he can just be a net neutral on the floor for the Thunder and not turn the ball over, it could really help this team on both ends. His 6-foot-10 height allows the Thunder to play big even if Dieng isn’t a terrific rebounder. He’s been a solid rim runner and is moving well off the ball. His elite length on defense gives the Thunder plenty of versatility.
He hasn’t switched gears yet, turning the corner like he did in the Summer League, but he’s doing enough to stay on the court in small spurts. As Daigneault said, his development has been quiet, but it’s starting to look noticeably effective.
The upcoming stretch post-All Star break will be big for the young wing. If he can continue to contribute, especially on defense, he might be a playable option during Oklahoma City’s postseason run.
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