Ousmane Dieng says he is ready to play Generational Talent

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Ousmane Dieng with the 11th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Dieng was part of three lottery picks for Oklahoma City and a four-member draft class. While the New Zealand breaker dealt with injuries both at Summer League and during the course of the NBA season, there is still a lot of potential for the 20-year-old.

Ousmane Dieng’s rookie season lasted 39 games, broken up by a significant wrist injury. Throughout the course of his first season, the 20-year-old averaged five points, two rebounds, and an assist per game.

Prior to joining the NBA, Ousmane Dieng played with soon-to-be number-one overall pick Victor Wembanyama. The 2022 lottery pick used to play with the generational talent, and in fact, at media day a year ago, he said he was “close friends” with Wembanyama.

OKC Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng says he is ready to face off with Victor Wembanyama next season.

As the NBA Draft rests less than a week away, the league is counting down the days until Victor Wembanyama joins the San Antonio Spurs. During a community event, I asked Ousmane Dieng about Wembanyama. The two have not caught up during the pre-draft process “he is pretty busy,” Dieng chuckled.

After being teammates for so long, Ousmane Dieng told me he is ready to play against Victor Wembanyama at the next level after the two have played on the National team together. Dieng will have plenty of chances to square off with the soon-to-be Western Conference foe.

The NBA will likely make the Thunder and Spurs a headline game early in the season to headline Victor Wembanyama against 2022 second-overall pick Chet Holmgren. Ousmane Dieng’s shot against the generational talent, and good friend, will likely come early in year two.