Dieng shares the surreal experience of sharing the court with Giannis for the first time.
The Milwaukee Bucks got a boost on Monday night when Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a right calf strain.
Even though the Bucks fell to the Boston Celtics 108-81 at Fiserv Forum, the night still meant something for the players around Giannis who had never shared the floor with the two-time MVP.
One of those players was Ousmane Dieng, who got the start alongside Antetokounmpo and played a team-high 30 minutes in the loss.
After the game, Dieng kept it real about what it was like being out there with Giannis for the first time.
"I hope we end up winning but no, it was great playing with him for the first time," Dieng said. "Really good player like everybody know. I feel like it's easier. Everybody got to help so you get open shots."
The Gravity of Giannis
Dieng's words speak to something that every teammate of Antetokounmpo has talked about at one point or another, and that is the way Giannis draws every single defender toward him whenever he touches the ball.
When Giannis drives to the basket, defenses have no choice but to collapse, and that opens up clean looks for the guys around him.
Dieng got a taste of that on Monday, and even though the Bucks lost in a big way, you could see the difference early on when Milwaukee jumped out to a seven-point lead with Dieng and Giannis working together.
Dieng hit two threes in the first quarter and looked comfortable playing off of Antetokounmpo, which is exactly the kind of role the Bucks need him to fill going forward.
Dieng Finding His Way in Milwaukee
Dieng arrived in Milwaukee through a wild trade deadline journey in early February that saw him go from Oklahoma City to Charlotte to Chicago and then finally to the Bucks.
Since landing in Milwaukee, the 22-year-old has shown real flashes of what made him the 11th overall pick in the 2022 draft.
In his Bucks debut against the Orlando Magic, Dieng dropped 17 points and knocked down five threes, and then he went off for 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks against his former team in Oklahoma City before the All-Star break.
On the season, Dieng is averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds across all three teams he has played for, but his numbers with the Bucks tell a much better story as he has been getting real minutes and a chance to show what he can do.
Head coach Doc Rivers has taken notice too, saying after Monday's game that he loved what Dieng brought to the table and that the team needs to keep giving him minutes while they try to win.
What Comes Next for the Bucks
Antetokounmpo finished Monday's game with 19 points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes on a minutes restriction, which was a solid return for his first action since January 23.
The bigger picture for Milwaukee is not as pretty right now, though, as the loss dropped them to 26-34 on the season while Boston improved to 40-20.
The Bucks have now lost three straight by 20 or more points, and with Giannis's future in Milwaukee still a big talking point around the league, the pressure is on to start stringing some wins together.
For Dieng, though, the chance to finally play next to one of the best players in the world is something he plans to take full advantage of, because when Giannis is on the floor, everything gets a little easier for everyone around him.