Gorgui Dieng shoots over superstar LeBron James during his rookie NBA season. Photo: Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports
I last blogged about Gorgui Dieng (pronounced GOR-gee Jeng) in early April of 2013, just before he helped the University of Louisville win its third NCAA Men’s Division I college basketball title.
Since turning professional, Gorgui, which means “the old one” in Senegal’s Wolof language, has shown as he gains more experience, he is more than capable of holding his own against the best basketball players in the world.
At the recent FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, the 24-year-old Dieng was Senegal’s best player. In six games at the world championship tournament, Gorgui averaged 16 points and almost 11 rebounds per game.
The Senegalese reached the knockout Round of 16 before losing to the host Spaniards, 89-56, in Madrid.
Dieng is now preparing for his second season with the National Basketball Association’s Minnesota
Timberwolves club. In his first year with the T-Wolves, Gorgui averaged about five points and five rebounds each game.
I expect his numbers will go up during the 2014-2015 NBA season, and for two main reasons.
Dieng has more confidence after his solid performance at the Basketball World Cup. And Gorgui should get the ball more after the trade last month of Minnesota’s best player, Kevin Love, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Check out some of Gorgui’s NBA rookie season highlights in this video.
As you can see in the video highlights, Gorgui Dieng can score, rebound and block shots. I look for him to be a fixture at center for the Timberwolves in the years to come.