Player Review: Gorgui Dieng

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Nov 21, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Gorgui Dieng (5) looks to pass in the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports /

Weaknesses

While Gorgui Dieng does a good job doing a variety of things. However, there are a few things that slow him down.

It’s hard to look at the things Dieng does wrong as he does so many good things.

Something that slows him down is his size. While he plays the power forward and center positions, he fits the power forward position the best. He isn’t the strongest player, nor does he have a lot of weight.

This especially hurts him if he is guarding some of the best big men such as DeAndre Jordan, Hassan Whiteside, DeMarcus Cousins and many more. If Dieng were to have a little more weight and muscle, he could really start to hold his own in the post and become an even more dangerous defender.

There are so many talented power forwards and centers in this league. If he wants to be able to help defend all of them; then he will need to bulk up a little more to hold his own in the post.

When comparing weights with some of the other big’s around the league; you can see how many players that are already biggerthann him. According to ESPN, here is a list of weights from different players:
-Anthony Davis PF, NO: 6’11 253 lb
-Demarcus Cousins C, NO: 6’11 270 lb
-Blake Griffin PF, LAC: 6’10 251 lb
-Paul Millsap PF, ATL: 6’8 246 lb
-Hassan Whiteside C, MIA: 7’0 265 lb
-Dwight Howard C, ATL: 6’11 265 lb

One other thing that slows Gorgui Dieng from becoming a better player is the ability to shoot three’s. Even though I pointed out that he is expanding his game to the three-point line, it’s also a weak point in his game. That’s why he tends to shy away from the 3-point line and shoots mid-rangers.

Totals Table
Season	Age	Tm	Lg	Pos	3P	3PA	3P%
2013-14	24	MIN	NBA	C	1	1	1.000
2014-15	25	MIN	NBA	C	1	6	.167
2015-16	26	MIN	NBA	C	6	20	.300
2016-17	27	MIN	NBA	PF	16	43	.372
Career			NBA		24	70	.343

Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table

As you can see he doesn’t shoot a whole lot from deep. But, if he can improve his shot, it would be a whole new dimension for Dieng himself and the team.

While there isn’t a whole lot of weaknesses from his game, there are a few things. Even though they aren’t major things that totally slow him down; he could improve his strength and game from deep.

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