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Mark Daigneault’s Thunder frontcourt problem ahead of regular-season opener

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | By Josue Pavon | Last updated 10/17/24

Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault was just discovering the benefits of Isaiah Hartenstein. The statistical advantages of adding a defensive rebounding center of Hartenstein’s caliber are staggering on paper. However, seeing in real-time while experimenting and tweaking lineups is when the luxury of training camp and exhibition games comes into play this season. Unfortunately for Daigneault and the Thunder, it’s also when Hartenstein experienced his first setback of 2024-25.

Isaiah sustained a small, non-displaced fracture injury in his left hand during the Thunder’s 124-94 preseason win against the Denver Nuggets and will be re-evaluated in five to six weeks. It was a devastating blow to a thinning frontcourt featuring Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.

After Jaylin Williams suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to miss the entire preseason schedule, he joined forward Kenrich Williams on Oklahoma City’s injured reserves. Kenrich is recovering from knee surgery and will be re-evaluated at the end of the preseason. There’s no guarantee he will be available for the start of the regular season.

In the meantime, Daigneault will seek alternative approaches ahead of next week’s regular-season opener against the Nuggets at Ball Arena.

Mark Daigneault says Ousmane Dieng is making lots of ‘strides’ in preseason

Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) drives to the basket between San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Ingram (55) and guard Sidy Cissoko (25) during the second half at Frost Bank Center Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

The bad news: Isaiah Hartenstein is out due to injury. The good news: Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault says Ousmane Dieng is making headway ahead of his third season. The 11th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft played only 33 games for the Thunder last season but has grown throughout OKC’s preseason slate, including a memorable performance against the New Zealand Breakers.

Dieng flirted with a triple-double (20 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists) as Thunder’s starters watched from the bench in street clothes. It was a terrific opportunity for Ousmane to get a taste of the starter’s minutes and be a focal point of an offense, as his 7-of-16 attempts were second to rookie Adam Flagler for most field-goal attempts from OKC.

After the win, Daigneault talked about Dieng’s undeniable impact on the Thunder’s 117-89 win.

“Ous has really made a lot of strides. He came in as the youngest player in the Draft and has made continuous progress since he’s been here,” Daigneault said. “And he continues to do a nice job.”

As one of the youngest players in the 2022 draft, Dieng was always considered a long-term project. However, he’s not one of the Thunder’s prospects who is projected to spend most of the upcoming season with the champion G League’s OKC Blue squad.

The French forward shows flashes of potential as an all-around forward and a promising 6-foot-10 defender who could be a reliable secondary temporary solution in the Thunder frontcourt.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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