Raptors: 3 lottery picks Christian Koloko is outperforming
By Mike Luciano
2. Ousmane Dieng, Oklahoma City Thunder
Dieng was one of three lottery picks that Oklahoma City ended up with his season, but the results on all three of them aren’t exactly very enticing. Chet Holmgren is already out for the year thanks to an injury, and Dieng has spent less time on the floor than both of the similarly named Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams.
Dieng averages just 4.4 points per game on 42% shooting, all before a wrist injury sidelined him for the most recent chunk of time. Dieng is a talented scorer, but Oklahoma City hasn’t been the best launching pad for him at this stage of his career.
Raptors big Christian Koloko has outplayed Ousmane Dieng.
With the Thunder in the lottery once again and Holmgren’s imminent return about to change the team’s calculus, it remains to be seen if Dieng will ever carve out a role in the rotation. Koloko, meanwhile, has done so despite some flaws on the offensive end. His best basketball is still in the windshield, not the rear-view mirror.
In the right situation, Dieng has enough natural fluidity to mold himself into a solid scorer that hustles on defense. However, he may need to wait until his second season before he can start eclipsing a player like Koloko, who is beginning to look much more comfortable on the floor.