Ousmane Dieng
The Rundown:
And to think that I was this close to no longer viewing this player as a legitimate prospect for the NBA. In my defense, I had plenty of good reason to think that Ousmane Dieng was never going to make an impact in the NBA. His start of the year in the NBL was one of the single worst things that I have ever witnessed. He couldn’t make a shot, in the paint or downtown and everywhere in between. He wasn’t making the correct reads at any point, even in transition or the pick and roll where advantages were premade, because he certainly wasn’t creating those advantages by himself. His handle was wonky, his passing accuracy was all over the place, his eyes were seemingly never looking in the right direction. His physical tools were not being utilized on the defensive end in the slightest. But above all, his confidence was nonexistent. It was a snowball effect of sorts; he gets knocked to the ground on a drive because of how physical the NBL is, he loses confidence in his finishing. By losing confidence in his finishing, he takes more jumpshots because of how pressed he is to make an impact in the league. By taking those contested jumpshots and missing a huge percentage of them, he loses confidence in his shooting ability. By suddenly being unable to score, leaving passes as your only real option, you are significantly easier to read and all of a sudden you are being completely neutralized just by the culture shock of a couple grown man slams. I was very very close to completely disregarding all of his France tape because of how poorly he was reacting to the pure physicality of the National Basketball League. However, it was that initial suffering which makes his ultimate turn around that much more… ultimate. Even when he was struggling, the tools were always there, and it would just take a singular click for them to be actualized. By golly, did he click. THe tape that I have watched of his more recent games is some of the most impressive prospect tape I have seen in a very long time, with no holes in his game that I am not confident he will be able to fix with a few simple, and almost expected, tweeks. I apologize for my rambling, I just very much enjoy the new and improved version of Ousmane Dieng, but without further ado I will elaborate on what has me firmly as the conductor of the “DiengTrain™”.
One of the reasons that I decided to talk about Ousmane Dieng before finishing my write up on Jalen Duren is because of how badly I want to talk about one of the least understood and most underappreciated aspects of any prospects, but most specifically bigger wings that are being labeled as perimeter creators or “point forward” type players, fluidity. Ousmane Dieng is the epitome of ungodly fluidity in a wing player, but the question is, why does that matter and how does that impact his NBA projection? The way I define fluidity is the combination of the quickness of a player, the speed in which they combine separate moves, shiftiness, and coordination. In most shorter players, you don’t need to really evaluate fluidity (JD Davidson may be the exception because it is exceptionally poor) because all of the skills that I listed in my definition are prerequisites to be a guard prospect in the NBA draft. The taller and taller you get, the more valuable each of these skills are because they get more and more rare. Being a tall player requires (for the most part, I am still in shock that Tatum can’t punish George Hill) being guarded by a tall player, and being able to quickly shift between moves on a defender that is slower than a guard, naturally breeds more advantages. The purity of Ousmane’s stepbacks and the beautiful practicality of his eurosteps is something that other 6 '10 players simply will not be able to defend. Many skilled wing creators would not be classified as immensely skilled if they were scaled down; if Gordon Hayward was 6 '4 there is a strong argument that he would not be in the league, because his fluidity is only average and not at all exceptional when compared to guards. However, wings with TRUE fluidity (like Ousmane Dieng) are able to be scaled down and still be successful, and the fact that they are 6 '10 and are able to use that fluidity against players that cannot compete in that particular regard makes them all the more tantalizing. It is a select few group of players that are 6 '10 and above and can complete the moves that Ousmane does, off the top of my head it’s something like Pokusevski, Leonard Miller, and Kevin Durant.
One of the ways that Ousmane’s fluidity is most obvious is when evaluating his skills handling the ball. It is exceptionally aqueous, not exactly fundamentally sound at this point but creativity oozes out of his handle (let the record reflect that I am, for the most part, evaluating the second half of the year tape as this placement for Ousmane is primarily an upside swing). However, the lack of fundamental soundness does not mean there is a lack of functionality. Ousmane has a way of getting to his spots (in a large part due to his fluidity), and his handle really helps. Sometimes the ball can get out of the little bubble that dribble is expected to stay in with a high level creator, but I’m not sure this is a terrible thing? His long arms negate a lot of the problems with this nitpick, and his long arms combined with the fluidity (said fluidity so many times that it doesn’t even look like a word at this point) makes it almost an advantage. He is able to use that wonkiness in the handle to create openings that aren’t there for basically any other players. I think his hands are overall really quite good, and they allow for him to recover the ball and create advantages. Don’t let my words which could be portrayed as negative make you believe that he has zero technical skills in his ball handling, the second he comes into the league he will be one of the better 6 '10 ball handlers. His hesitation and hang dribbles are genuinely bonkers, and he utilizes them so well in so many different contexts. From perimeter isolations to attacking a drop coverage, the hesitation breeds space creation and lets him get to the spots that he wants, when he wants. Even when the handle is loose, he still keeps it away from the defender, it’s like he is utilizing the looseness intentionally. I’m not sure the technical way to describe this, but his way of lulling a defender to sleep with his handle is so exceptional, especially for someone his size. A large part of this can probably be attributed to how quickly he can shift from his dribble right into his shot preparation, but he knows exactly when his defender gives him just enough space for him to pull up and take advantage. His transition between moves is so quick, and he appears very ambidextrous in his handle; he is never fazed when asked to go directly from the hang dribble to the skip pass with either hand. I fully expect the handle to continue to develop, before it becomes maybe the most important aspect of his game.
His playmaking overall is probably his most unique trait as a prospect. I haven’t seen very many players ever who can pass like he can at the height that he is. It is also necessary to specify that it isn’t even the same type of passing that a lot of other good, big passers that have made their way into the draft in recent years. The way I see most of these guys that are labeled as “point forwards” have the ability to hit the far corner when the far corner is left open, and maybe a bit of outlet passing thrown in. What I don’t see very consistently is high level manipulation, or what separates good passers from great ones. Manipulation is creating open players, not just taking advantage once either (a) there is a defensive miscommunication, which is less prevalent in the NBA or (b) there is an advantage created for him. Manipulation is using your eyes or the ball to artificially shift defenders to the place you want to make the passes you want, which is exponentially better than taking the passes the defense is already giving. It is hard to overemphasize how INSANE it is for a 6 '10 player to have ANY level of manipulation, it is so so SO rare because it is usually reserved for the best of the best point guard playmakers. Once he creates that advantage with that insane high level basketball IQ and understanding of advanced defensive schemes and concepts (his understanding of the second line of help is particularly interesting to me, it shows his pretty bonkers court mapping and level of chess playing if you will, he always knows where every player is, when that is an area that a lot of high level passing prospects his size really suffer, he goes beyond the primary level of understanding) he instantly sends that pass flying at a pretty insane altitude, there is not a second of hesitation in Ousmane’s game. Ousmane is great timing wise; he uses just enough manipulative strategies to create the opening because he understands that his ability to thread the needle will be able to take him the rest of the way. One of my favorite things about his passing is the overall versatility. He loves the skip passes and he hits them with great accuracy off the isolation or in transition, he loves operating in transition, using his stride lengths to create gravity and hit cutting teammates, but he is just as efficient and tantalizing in the pick and roll game, where he can lob it OR bounce pass it with great proficiency. It is honestly so bizarre that Ousmane Dieng is 18 years old right now (albeit turning 19 rather soon) because watching him the one thing that consistently sticks out is his craftiness; it SCREAMS “10 year veteran” with all the little tricks he has. One of my favorite microskills is his ability to make post entry passes in a variety of ways. He can do it fundamentally, probing around until he finds the right angle for the bounce pass, or he can do it with some of his own signature flair, lobbing it where only his man can get it or bouncing it to the opposite side of what is anticipated for his man to curl to. He waits till the perfect time to make each pass, you can tell that he sees the advantages but he realizes that if he holds out just a second longer, gets a couple steps further into the paint, that his man will be even more open. He loves using the gravity of the roll man to capitalize on the shooting prowess of his other teammates, using little fakes to cause the defenders guarding the corners to rush down before popping the ball into said corner with pinpoint accuracy. One of the things that makes Ousmane so great in the pick and roll, outside of his ridiculous timing, passing versatility, and nuance, is his wherewithal with screens. This is a very minute skill, but one that I would argue is consistently undervalued. The screen is one of the best ways for any basketball player to get open, and Ousmane understands that to a stupendous extent. He probes the defender, going back and forth around the screen setter until he has the advantage he wants. If he isn’t rejecting the screen with some more of that classic Ousmane manipulation, he is curling around it so tightly that it is impossible for the defender to go over it and not create a terrible 2 on 1 opportunity for the drop big to try and remedy. That highlights a theme that permeates throughout all of Dieng’s game, he understands what must be done to create advantages because he understands what his defenders are thinking. I wouldn’t say his stand still burst is exceptional (solid for his height though) so he has concocted ways to create similar upper hands without the use of insane athleticism, be it shiftiness, craft, patience, or fundamentals.
His scoring package also has me quite intrigued, but this is where some of the warts in his game start to rear their ugly head. Let’s start with the good stuff though, which centers around his touch for the most part. Touch is one of the least defined concepts in basketball, and it is also one of the hardest to teach, you either have it or you don’t. I have watched enough Jazz basketball to know that Udoka Azubuike does not have touch, and will never have touch; the shots that he doesn’t have the ability or placement to simply power home are shots that he is going to miss a large percentage of the time. Some examples of good touch in this class are Adrian Griffin Jr (exceptional shooter with a pretty wonky form) and Leonard Miller (great around the rim with different velocities, solid shooter with ridiculously wonky form), while guys like Trevor Keels are a little lacking in the touch regard. Ousmane is maybe my pick (probably still AJG or Leonard) for the best touch in the draft for a wing, especially in the floater range. It is extremely rare for a player his height to have a floater so potent, Brandon Clarke is one of the few guys to come to mind that has come out of the draft in recent years, and I would even give Dieng the edge over Clarke because of how he can succeed with even the most tightly contested of runners. I quite like Ousmane’s form as well, on pull ups and catch and shoot opportunities; it is consistent, quick, repeatable, and without any major hitches on the way up. There is also a smooth transition from the dribble to the pull up, especially when he is utilizing his hang dribble. His pull up is lethal, almost Tatum-esque with the way that he seemingly boosts his percentages with every size up dribble in his wing isolations, but his off ball shooting is also quite impressive. He has maybe a bit of off ball movement shooting potential, but he is still effective when just in a standstill, giving him a lot of opportunities for success in the NBA. The most important shooting indicators (touch, form, versatility, free throw shooting) are possessed by Ousmane (I realize his free throw numbers were low but I look at the sample size, he just didn’t take a lot of them) and I think that the NBA is going to see a fully unleashed version of shooting Dieng. This is a bit of a personal gripe, but I also expect his numbers to go up with more consistent playing time. His coach in the NBL would sit him for the longest periods, more than long enough for him to lose any rhythm or warmth that he was building up, and that’s on top of the fact that he was never in for the same times from game to game, making his in season transformation even more impressive.
However, there are some problems with Ousmane in this respect, and they all circle back to his strength. At this moment, I wouldn’t call him a great finisher, and he is quite contact averse. Let’s just say it would be nice if he was an elite floater artist out of luxury instead of necessity. Right now, when driving, he is easily bumped off of his spot once he is airborne so he resorts to his floater to avoid that contact, and no floater is more efficient than an actual layup. When operating against players smaller than him in the post he can take advantage, but when there is a legitimate center his combination of about average vertical pop and very poor strength creates a legitimate problem. This is not the only issue that comes from his lack of strength, his rebounding also suffers. He is very timid when throwing himself into the fray of other players battling for the boards, seemingly because he knows his frame isn’t equipped for combat in the paint. This, at the moment, limits some of the benefits of his height. In the best case scenario, he can blitz his way past slower defenders like a smaller player, and then wreak havoc on the boards and in the paint like a bigger one, but he just isn’t there yet. I would expect him to be a full time 3 when he comes into the league, but over time I bet he progresses to play the 4 primarily with a bit of the 5 sprinkled in at the end of games. Even though these are pretty glaring problems at the moment, when gaining weight is the most pressing issue in a young prospect with a frame that can realistically put on a lot of muscle, there isn’t too much to be concerned about. Ousmane Dieng will be a bigger player 5 years into his NBA career than he is right now, and I fully expect those weight games to cancel out a lot of the flaws that he has at the moment, and that they will amplify his current strengths as well (players bouncing off of him while he looks for passes, post up opportunities highlighting his EXCEPTIONAL post passes).
The last thing to talk about is his overall defensive game, with the strengths and the weaknesses. On the whole, I was very impressed with what he accomplished at this end of the floor, consistently making high level rotations that I don’t expect 18 year olds in a professional league to necessarily be making. His help side rim protection can be a thing of beauty, where he flies in from the weak side to annihilate a weak shot attempt. Ousmane’s timing on these defensive stands is masterful, where he either erases a shot or gets low and picks off an interior bounce pass. He is an expert at using his wingspan to its fullest potential, tipping shots at their apex or going full extension when trapping an offensive player. Of course, there are some rotations that he misses, but I think these can be corrected through a few simple fixes; he needs to be better at getting into a low athletic stance, he needs to get stronger so he has the confidence to hurl himself into the fire, and he needs increased experience. I EXPECT these players to miss some of these rotations, but overall I was quite happy with his conversion rate. On the ball is also not perfect, but has some exciting flashes. For the most part, I like his lateral quickness and recovery abilities, giving him the ability to consistently guard 1-3.5 at the NBL level. His screen navigation is great for a player at his height, and his hands are relatively quick. Ousmane should stick on the smaller guys at the moment because he can be bullied when a true forward tries to make his way into the paint, and he needs to work on getting low on defense to further amplify his lateral quickness but his tendency to swallow up drives is really interesting, and for an 18 year old playing against grown men he doesn’t jump at a lot of pump fakes. I hope that I’m not understating how much he needs to gain weight because I’m not talking about it as much as the good things, so he NEEDS to gain weight, it unlocks his full potential on both ends.
I’m at the point where I always bet on tall players with fluidity, and if that tall player with fluidity is exceptionally smart and is a touch master, then good for me! If the main flaws with this player are things that naturally go away as the human body gets older, then it really is my lucky day. People CANNOT underrate how impressive for Ousmane to do what he did in a physical professional league, a league much better than the NCAA. The people that understand this can join me on the right side of history and hop on the DiengTrain™.
The Synopsis:
A freaky fluid athlete with freaky touch and freaky passing instincts, Dieng does weird stuff at his height on the regular. Plays like a guard to a little too much of an extent with how contact averse (in turn, free throw line averse) and how much he relies on floaters and is scared of rebounding, but a player with this skill level on both ends at this size is worth betting on. Needs weight though.
Shades of:
Brandon Ingram, Joe Ingles with more athletic OOMPH, a very unique dude overall
