Despite a promising NBA debut, Villeneuvois Ousmane Dieng played with Oklahoma City’s reserve team. And his strong performances in the G-League could get him back in the league very quickly.
Former Villeneuve basketball club Ousmane Dieng continues his development on the other side of the Atlantic. Even if he doesn’t realize it yet, he plays among the greatest in his sport.
“Every time I go to an NBA room, I tell myself that I was watching these games on TV and now I’m playing. It’s always impressive. We play every other day, even every day. There are far fewer training sessions, but the most important thing is to be focused when there are, especially mentally prepared. For the games, as soon as we have the opportunity, it’s to give everything and scratch the minutes”, said the young Villeneuvois a few days ago.
And to save minutes, the Oklahoma City franchise made the decision to play him in the G-League, with the subsidiary. With the “Blau”, Ousmane Dieng is more present on the floor during a meeting, which allows him to show all his technical skills at an offensive level.
20 points for his first game
For his first game with the Oklahoma City Blue, Villeneuvois contributed heavily to his team’s victory with 20 points (6/13 shooting including 2/8 three-pointers), 5 points, 4 assists and 2 caps in 34 minutes. In the G-League defenses are less pressing, and he knew how to take advantage of that. Balls, “coast to coast”, penetrations, Ousmane Dieng has done it all. A great performance that he was able to repeat during the next two games with 15 and 17 points.
Mentally there is no doubt, Ousmane Dieng is focused on his goal: to win in the NBA. And even though he was sent to the G-League for a few games, he doesn’t give up and shows what he’s capable of. Some assets that could well seduce Mark Daigneault, the head coach of Oklahoma City. Which would force him to quickly reinstate the Villeneuvois in the NBA.