In this continuing series, Thunder Wire assigns three goals to each of the 21 players, per Spotrac, that make up the Oklahoma City Thunder roster.
The Thunder’s season kicks off on Oct. 25 against the Chicago Bulls. After a surprising 40-42 campaign that ended a win shy of the playoffs, OKC enters this year with playoff aspirations.
Buy Thunder TicketsLet’s assign three goals for Ousmane Dieng. After the Thunder traded multiple first-round picks to select him at No. 11 in the 2022 NBA draft, he saw limited action in his rookie season due to injuries and age.
The hope is that Dieng takes the next step in his developmental process. At 20 years old, he’s viewed as a long-term project.
Earn a rotation spot
Dieng’s rookie season was a bit forgettable as the 20-year-old appeared in just 39 games. Injuries — including a wrist fracture — limited him in his rookie campaign.
It was expected to see Dieng struggle his rookie season though. He was viewed as a long-term project who’ll likely be extremely raw at the beginning of his career.
That should continue to be the expectation heading into his second season, but Dieng has shown flashes of a potent wing. If he can continue to develop at a decent rate, then being in the rotation by the end of the season is feasible.
Play through contact
One of the biggest critiques from Dieng’s rookie season was his trouble playing through contact at times.
Mark Daigneault, OKC Blue’s Kam Woods and several of his teammates spoke about this with Dieng. Despite being 6-foot-10 and 216 pounds, he showed hesitancy when it came to finishing drives through contact. This resulted in him either passing up shots or settling for contested jumpers.
That mentality will need to change if Deing solidifies himself as an NBA player. Having an NBA season under his belt should help with that.
Stay healthy
As mentioned, Dieng hardly played his rookie season. He was limited to 39 games and averaged only 14.6 minutes. By the end of the season, it was difficult for him to get consistent playing time while OKC made its playoff push.
A lot of that could be attributed to him being a long-term project. He played significant time with the G League’s OKC Blue. But a lot of that could also be because of missed time.
As it looked like he was gaining a rhythm, Dieng suffered a second wrist fracture in December. The injury cost him nearly two months of NBA appearances. Durability will be key for him this upcoming season.
