Ousmane Dieng: Thunder’s Hidden Gem Entering Next Season

As the Oklahoma City Thunder put together a 40-win season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander emerged as one of the best players in the entire NBA in the 2022-23 campaign. Alongside him, Josh Giddey took a huge step forward and ultimately proved he has what it takes to be a cornerstone piece of this bright young core. Furthermore, Jalen Williams continued to get better as the season went on and made a case for consideration in the Rookie of the Year race.

One player that wasn’t talked about enough last season was French wing Ousmane Dieng. The No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he was one of the youngest prospects in his class and looked to be a project with high upside. As expected, it was an inconsistent season for the 19-year-old, especially since he missed several weeks with a wrist injury.

However, the flashes he showed at both the NBA and G League levels should have Thunder fans excited for his future. Based on what Dieng did in year one, he could soon be joining the young core as a legitimate contributor. At 6-foot-10, he has the size of a forward but possesses guard skills. As such, he can play multiple positions on both ends and brings versatility to Oklahoma City.

With the Thunder as a rookie, he played in 39 games while producing 4.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 14.6 minutes per contest. He wasn’t very efficient, and struggled with physicality at times, but that should be expected for a prospect as raw as him. With that in mind, he did put together seven games with double-digit points including a performance in which he notched 22 points, nine assists and eight rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies to close the season.

Dieng projects to be extremely valuable on both ends when he reaches the peak of his career, which is exactly what we saw at the G League level as rookie. In nine games with the Blue, he produced 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Playing as a primary ball handler, the role he played at that level showed glimpses of what he could look like with the Thunder down the road.

Although he was overshadowed by bigger storylines throughout the season, it’s important to remember just how key Dieng could be for the Thunder in a few years. It wouldn’t at all be surprising if he develops into a starter at some point. Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti is one of the best talent evaluators in the league, and he gave up three first-round picks to acquire Dieng. That tells us everything we need to know about his upside.

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