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Minnesota Timberwolves: Mid-season report card

By Brian Sampson

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - DECEMBER 31: Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the Minnesota Timberwolves. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 28: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 28, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – NOVEMBER 28: Gorgui Dieng #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves looks on during the game against the Washington Wizards on November 28, 2017 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

Gorgui Dieng: C

The best way to describe Gorgui Dieng’s season so far is blah.

His numbers are down all across the board, but that’s mainly because his minute total is down as well. After averaging a career-high 32.4 minutes per game last season, Dieng is down to his lowest total since his rookie year at 18.1.

This low minute total is messing with his confidence and has him checking over to the bench after every mistake to see if he’s going to get pulled. Certinaly not the best way to play.

One of the biggest positives of Dieng’s game is his ability to hit the mid-range jumper with consistency, as he’s hitting 52.2 percent of his shots between 10 and 16 feet and 50.8 percent of them from 16 feet to the three-point line. That’s huge for a big man who isn’t overly athletic and struggles to score around the rim.

It would be a huge step forward for Dieng, and the Timberwolves, if he could extend his range out to the three-point line. That would turn a lot of those long twos into threes and make him extremely valuable to a team which lacks outside shooting.

Defensively, he’s spending much more time at center alongside Taj Gibson and Bjelica than last season when he was next to Towns. He still seems to be misused by Thibodeau, but I can’t quite figure out what is going wrong.

Overall, Dieng has earned a C because he hasn’t been spectacular, nor has he been a huge disappointment. He’s just been blah.

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