For years, the Milwaukee Bucks have been looking for a go-to wing defender. They've cycled through a handful of names, but they've all come and gone. As the search continues, the team now has an intriguing option in Ousmane Dieng, whom they acquired at the NBA Trade Deadline. Dieng himself recently spoke about wanting to grow as a defender, and Bucks fans should be thrilled.
"Just keep playing hard. Getting better on defense. I think I can be a really good defender."
The Bucks may have their next wing defender in town
On paper, Dieng has all of the tools to be a strong defender. He boasts the physical tools, such as the height, length, and athleticism, to be a troubling matchup for anyone. For Milwaukee, they just need to bring it out of him. After sitting on OKC's bench for four seasons, Dieng, who is still just 22, is still raw as a prospect. There is plenty of room to grow.
While not a natural small forward, Doc Rivers said he plans to utilize Dieng as a three with the Bucks. Given how short-handed the Bucks are at the position, with AJ Green, a two-guard, being forced to start there for most of the season, it makes sense that the team would look to shake things up. While he's a big three, he does have the tools to fit well in that spot.
Defended field goal percentage, which measures the field goal percentage of other players when shooting against a particular player, isn't a perfect stat. Missed shots come down to many different factors. However, sometimes, it does highlight how impactful one can be. In this case, players are hitting just 41.8 percent of their shots against Dieng, the second-best mark among current Bucks.
The potential is hard to ignore.
"Project Dieng" should be among Bucks' priorities down the stretch
The Milwaukee Bucks need to find out what they have in Dieng down the stretch of the season. He's shown glimpses of potential since coming aboard, with some calling him the steal of the deadline to this point. Despite this, he's averaging just 18.6 minutes per game. He should easily be eclipsing 20 per game. The team needs to let him spread his wings.
If they play their cards right, the Milwaukee Bucks may have a legitimate piece of their future in Dieng. Given how starved of adequate wing defenders since P.J. Tucker left following the championship, one would think Dieng would firmly be in the rotation. However, that hasn't been the case yet. There is still plenty of basketball to be played, so hopefully, that changes.
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