Doc Rivers liked what he saw from Ousmane Dieng in his return against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng made his return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dieng left the March 12 game against the Miami Heat after just 14 minutes as he was dealing with an illness. He did not return to the game and would miss the next two games for the Bucks.
He came off the bench on Tuesday, but played 30. He finished with 19 points on 7-12 shooting, including 5-8 from three to go along with five rebounds, and an assist.
The Bucks were +2 during his 30 minutes of action, but ultimately lost the game 123-116.
Doc Rivers Praises Dieng
After the game, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers was asked about Dieng's return to the floor.
"It was great. Just getting comfortable. Another ball handler. A guy that makes shots. Big. I thought he was terrific defensively. It was good to see him back," he said.
Dieng has had a strong impact in his short time in Milwaukee since joining the team at the NBA trade deadline.
In 16 games, he has started seven contests, averaging 22 minutes per game, by far a career high. He is averaging 8.9 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.4 rebounds, all of which are career highs.
He's also shooting 41% from three on 4.4 attempts per game, and 43% from the field.
Dieng was acquired at the NBA trade deadline by the Bucks. He was first traded by the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Charlotte Hornets. The Hornets then traded him to the Chicago Bulls. Finally, the Bulls traded him to the Bucks.
Digging Deeper
Though Dieng has put up strong counting numbers, his advanced metrics aren't quite as good.
Removing low leverage situations, with Dieng on the floor, the Bucks have a 114 offensive rating and a 123.5 defensive rating, a -9.4 net rating.
When he's off the floor, the Bucks have a 115.1 offensive rating and a 118.6 defensive rating, a -3.5 net rating.
The Bucks have found a five-man lineup that has worked involving Dieng when he's on the floor with Ryan Rollins, Kyle Kuzma, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Myles Turner. The lineup has a 114.6 offensive rating and a 108.5 defensive rating for a +6.1 net rating in 22 high to medium leverage minutes.
The Bucks could be without Giannis for the rest of the season, which will lead to more opportunities for Dieng as he's proven he can contribute in multiple ways, but the underlying metrics may not paint the prettiest picture.