If Gorgui Dieng has proven anything throughout his young NBA career, it’s that he’s an extremely quick learner.
He really hasn’t had any choice in the matter.
A year ago, Dieng was essentially an afterthought for Minnesota — the No. 21 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft that former coach Rick Adelman refused
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early to play meaningful minutes. Then Nikola Pekovic went down forcing Dieng to step up and learn on the fly. He responded by recording a double-double in the first start of his career, and pouring in a 20-point, 20-rebound performance a few days later. Dieng finished his rookie season averaging a modest 4.8 points and 5.0 boards per contest.
Though he saw moderate success in limited action, there were still question marks heading into this season. That experience gained in Year 1, however, has proved vital, as a year later, while continuing to learn the nuances of the NBA game, Dieng is one of the most consistent players on the Wolves. He’s averaging 9.9 points and 8.3 boards per game while being forced into significant minutes yet again.
“I’m playing a lot of minutes and the coaches always told me that every day I was either going to get better or get worse,” he said. “I’m getting better.”
Dieng learned that ability to rise the occasion many years ago as a kid growing up in Senegal — more than 5,000 miles from the Twin Cities. He actually grew up with a passion for soccer, and while he was pretty good at the sport, he eventually made the switch to basketball. His height in and of itself made him a natural in the post.
As he continued to improve while attending the Sports for Education and Economic Development (SEEDS) Academy in Senegal, Dieng was invited to a "Basketball Without Borders" clinic as one of the best players in Africa. He balled out at the camp, and from there, started to garner some attention. Dieng transferred to Huntington Prep as a way to garner more exposure and in his only season with the program averaged 15.4 points, 12.6 rebounds and 7.2 blocks.
As college offers came in, Dieng ultimately signed with Louisville and played under the tutelage of legendary coach Rick Pitino. He learned more an more about the game while with the Cardinals and his celebrated career — that saw him earn the Big East Defensive Player of the Year honor in 2013 and finish with the second most blocks in program history — culminated with an NCAA title.
That success at Louisville made him a pretty hot commodity heading into the 2013 NBA Draft and he eventually landed with the Wolves.
Dieng has worked tirelessly to improve every aspect of his since being drafted by Minnesota. He was initially viewed as a project player with little to no upside. Dieng, however, quickly shed that tag when given a chance last year. He proved to be a force down low, a rim protector that was also apt on the boards, and was actually selected to the All-Rookie Second Team even though he rarely played until late in the season.
Dieng, however, was still viewed as a one-dimensional player. While he could protect the rim with his length, and clean up the glass en route to some easy points here and there, he couldn’t create his own shot.
So as he has countless times over the course of his life — whether he was in Senegal, Kentucky, or Minnesota — he learned and found a way to get better.
Dieng worked out with Dirk Nowitzki in the offseason, with hopes of improving his face up skills, and it’s paid dividends this season. He’s used that fall away shot countless times this season to get buckets. Dieng has also implemented the bank shot into his offensive game — and that’s not by mistake.
“That’s something I’ve been working on the whole summer,” he said. “I liked the way Tim Duncan made those shots. When I play against those players I always learn something from them. I really like that shot and I know it’s an easy shot to make.”
Pekovic, who recently returned from a slew of injuries that kept him out for more than two months, said it’s been a joy to watch from afar as Dieng has continued to grow.
“He’s was always a rim protector,” Pekovic said. “He’s started to show off his face up game. He’s trying to drive more and he shoots that little bank shot. He’ll hopefully add some more stuff in the future.”
That shouldn’t be much of a worry, though. Dieng will continue to grow and add new things to his game because he’ll continue to learn.
That’s really Dieng in a nutshell. He’s always found a way to rise to the occasion, regardless of the circumstance. He found a way to rise up as a kid growing up in Senegal and carried that into his only season at Huntington Prep. He found a way to rise up again throughout his illustrious career at Louisville that culminated in an NCAA title. Now he’s rising up again as a potential star in making for the Wolves.
“I’m just learning,” Dieng said. “That’s the most important thing for me. I know I need to get better. So I’m just listening, learning, and trying to do the right things.”