Though Isaiah Hartenstein's recent medical clearance and addition to the regular season rotation was viewed as a positive sign for the health of this hobbled OKC Thunder team, Sunday the ball club received an injury update that should bring the fanbase's excitement back down to reality.
Assigned to the franchise's NBA G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue to get some more in-game action, while playing against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers on November 22 Ousmane Dieng suffered a small fracture in his right ring finger.
According to the Thunder's PR team, the forward will be re-evaluated in three to four weeks.
Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng suffers fracture in right ring finger
Amid all the injury woes within their frontcourt, Dieng has served as a consistent contributor in coach Mark Daigneault's rotation through these early stages of the 2024-25 campaign.
With guys like Jaylin Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Chet Holmgren missing substantial time thus far, the third-year forward has regularly served as the club's biggest available commodity at 6-foot-9.
Now, with his injury, the former lottery pick finds himself joining the likes of Williams and Holmgren on the sidelines, both of whom are out indefinitely moving forward.
While the update does note that Dieng's finger will be reassessed in roughly a month, this is far from a projected return timetable.
Despite the unfortunate injury report, however, what's encouraging is the fact that Hartenstein managed to make his way back to the hardwood after fracturing his left hand during the preseason in about a month.
Playing all 16 games this season, Dieng has been averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per night.
Since being selected 11 overall back in the 2022 NBA Draft, the France native has struggled to come across ample action with the Thunder and has regularly revolved in and out of the development league.
Last season, he served as a driving force within the Blue's scheme, posting 16.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game en route to a G League Championship and a G League Finals MVP.
Earlier this season, it appeared his high-end productivity had carried over to the varsity team, as his efforts were frequently drawing praise, including from coach Daigneault who went as far as to say he's seen "a huge jump developmentally" with his game and physicality.
As the season progressed and the team's needs shifted, however, his usage gradually regressed and, in turn, so, too, has his efficiency.
With Dieng now out, the Thunder will likely be heavily reliant on the recently returned Hartenstein, small-ball lineups with Jalen Williams at the five, and perhaps a few other experimental combinations while trying to make up for their continuously shrinking frontcourt depth.