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Goals For Gorgui Dieng Next Season

By Jarrett Spence

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - June 28: Minnesota Timberwolves 2013 NBA Draft Picks Shabazz Muhammad (14th) and Gorgui Dieng (21st) are introduced to the media by Phil 'Flip' Saunders. Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - June 28: Minnesota Timberwolves 2013 NBA Draft Picks Shabazz Muhammad (14th) and Gorgui Dieng (21st) are introduced to the media by Phil 'Flip' Saunders. Copyright 2013 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 11: Gorgui Dieng (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – APRIL 11: Gorgui Dieng (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

4. Accepting any role Tom Thibodeau gives him

Thibs has the luxury of either starting Dieng at power forward alongside Karl-Anthony Towns or having him come off the bench with the second unit and starting Taj Gibson. Either role Dieng is asked to fill, he can accomplish it.

He has played 297 games so far in his NBA career and started 185 of those games, coming off the bench 112 times. He usually plays about 20-29 minutes and he is most productive in those minutes, averaging 11.9 points and 9.2 rebounds. He started 112 games out of 121 when he played around those minutes.

His next best production came when he played 20-29 minutes, giving averages of 8.3 points and 7 rebounds. That is a slight drop off but it is still some decent production. His defensive rating and usage percentage were almost the same in those splits. So either way, Dieng has put up decent production either starting or coming off the bench.

He can also learn from the best sixth man to ever do it, Jamal Crawford. Crawford has won three Sixth Man of the Year awards, and the award will probably be dedicated to his name once his career is over. Dieng can now learn from not only Crawford, but also Taj Gibson who has always been a candidate for the award as well during his time with the Chicago Bulls. Dieng can learn what it takes to be ready when the coach wants him to come off the bench, wants him to start some games to x things up, or just to fill in for a starter when he goes down with an injury.