The Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of a seven-game home stand after being on the road for 11 days, and they have been bit by the injury bug now as they return home. Obviously, the team lost Chet Holmgren for the season back in August while Kenrich Williams has been out for a large stretch, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl is now out week-to-week, and they got more bad news on the injury front regarding rookie Ousmane Dieng.
With the injury bug sweeping through Bricktown in the middle of this seven-game homestand in the Paycom Center, the biggest blow might be Ousmane Dieng who has suffered a wrist injury that will hold him out at least six weeks before he is even re-evaluated for the injury right as the 11th overall pick was hitting his stride.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will see 2022 NBA Draft 11th overall pick Ousmane Dieng sidelined for at least six weeks with a wrist injury, that is unrelated to the one the rookie suffered at NBA Summer League in July
The OKC Thunder were getting quality play out of their rookie wing, Ousmane Dieng, just before this bad news hit. In his last NBA game, the NBL star posted a career-high 15 points on 75 percent shooting from the floor, which also served as his career high from three-point land with three makes on 75 percent shooting.
Then, in the G-League, Dieng continued to dominate posting 20-point double-doubles with ease and really looking the part as a two-way wing that can play electric defense while scoring and keeping the ball moving offensively.
However, the team was hit with the bad news of Dieng’s six-week absence and now has to shuffle a few things around on both levels as the Blue will miss their best player, and the Thunder does not have that break glass in case of an emergency player to call up.
The team announced this injury is unrelated to the one that held him out of the end of NBA Summer League in Vegas back in July, but are calling it a small, non-displaced fracture in his right wrist.