Ousmane Dieng is taking steps in the right direction.
Ousmane Dieng has experienced a surge of growth since joining the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his last season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Dieng didn't see much use. He bounced between the G-League and the NBA, and in the 27 games that he played with the Thunder last season, he was on the court for an average of less than 11 minutes each game, and he couldn't get into a groove where he could contribute.
Now that he's with the Bucks, Dieng can work things out on the court far more often. His minutes have more than doubled, and his points have jumped up from 3.7 per game to 9.5 per game.
Time at the NBA Level
He's still spent some time in the G-League, but his NBA stints with the Bucks have been productive and he's even been in the starting five 11 times this season.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) scores a basket during the second half against Portland Trail Blazers guard Sidy Cissoko (91) at Moda Center. Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesDieng has all the physical talents to be real factor on the court and he's still just 22 years old, leaving him with plenty of time to grow both in terms of his body and his skill set.
The latter is Bucks head coach Doc Rivers' primary concern right now. Dieng's mind needs to accumulate the sharpness and the presence that age, experience and maturity can bestow up a player in the NBA and once that connection hits, he'll be a better decision maker and overall a better player.
Milwaukee Bucks center Myles Turner (3) has the ball knocked away by Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) during the first half at Delta Center. Rob Gray-Imagn ImagesRivers knows that switch is not only possible, but likely. He's taking his time with Dieng to help the French forward make that adjustment and once he does, Rivers is confident in what he's capable of.
Mental Adjustments
"There's things we see where he can be really good," Rivers said (via Bucks). There's things he struggles and we got to we got to some of those are more just attention to detail, focus, playing at a different gear. He's got to do that if he wants to be a really good player."
The Bucks are set to be a much younger team next season, and from then on, they can build a foundation and try to turn the ship around after suffering the difficulties of this season.
© Troy Wayrynen-Imagn ImagesDieng has the potential to be a big part of that. His size, athleticism and mobility are all raw traits that act as the stepping stones to a talented player.
He's simply unpolished at this point and looking to find his way in the league.
The repetitions that he's receiving at the NBA level certainly help with that and with a seasoned veteran like Rivers coaching him, Dieng could be on his way to being a solid player sooner, rather than later.