National Basketball Association

Wolves season report card: Gorgui Dieng

Published May. 7, 2015 10:15 a.m. ET

foxsports

This is the eighth in a 15-part series evaluating each Timberwolves player's performance during the 2014-15 season. Find the entire series here.

Recently concussed but far enough out of the fog to crack some wise, Gorgui Dieng said he couldn't remember what stood out to him about the Timberwolves' 2014-15 season.

"I don't remember," Dieng said the day of Minnesota's final game in a 16-win campaign that has it seeded first in this month's draft lottery. "I forgot that.

"No," Dieng smiled, breaking the awkward silence from a handful of reporters encircling him. "I mean, we did have a good season as a team, but I think I got better a little bit compared to my first season."

Dieng, quite possibly the Wolves' center-piece in the post for the next few years, did it in increments during his second go-round. Before a concussion sidelined him for the Wolves' final nine games -- and, in all seriousness, caused dizzy spells and even some short-term memory loss, Dieng said -- the 25-year-old from Senegal was one of Minnesota's most sturdy presences.

But not spectacular.

His minutes were largely the result of starter Nikola Pekovic's ongoing injury struggles. As long as they continue, Dieng should be ready to assume an everyday center's role.

And there's still plenty of room for the 21st overall pick in the 2013 draft to grow, even though he's already a rangy, 6-foot-11, 245-pound giant of a man.

"It's a long process," said Dieng, who's all healed up now, "and I'm just going to keep learning and try to get better."

Scoring: C+

After playing sparingly until his rookie season's final weeks, Dieng became a big-man mainstay for the Wolves in 2014-15. As a scorer, he was reliable, converting 50.6 percent of his field-goal attempts and averaging 9.7 points per game.

But steady is far from dominant.

Dieng added a nice midrange jumper to his game last summer and shot 56.9 percent from 10-16 feet from the basket. He's coordinated enough to execute a series of moves on the block. He's even versatile enough to play the four at times, a position Dieng said he actually finds easier.

"I don't have to be wrestling with like 300-pound people," Dieng said. "I can let Pek do the dirty work and just get right behind him and grab rebounds."

But too often, challenges from defenders are met with less-than-stiff resistance. Dieng shot 42 percent when a defender was within two feet of him this past season.

"You're ready to stand up out of your chair and cheer for a dunk, and all of a sudden, it gets blocked and you sink back down in your chair," coach and president Flip Saunders said while discussing Dieng's offensive shortcomings. "He's just got to get a little bit more explosive around the basket . . . and a little bit more finesse getting the ball up on the glass a little bit quicker."

Rebounding: B

With Pekovic often out and Kevin Love no longer in the fold, the Wolves needed a glass clearer. Usually, that was Dieng.

Although he was valued coming out of Louisville as a rim protector, rebounding has become his strongest NBA suit. Dieng's 8.3 rebounds per game led Minnesota, ranked 13th among NBA centers and were 21st in the league overall.

Three years of college hoops and two seasons in the pros have honed Dieng's positioning. Working out at the University of Minnesota last summer, he added a few pounds of muscle and even more tone to scrap for boards at both ends; his 3.1 offensive rebounds per game ranked 15th in the league.

Defense: C

This is where Dieng received the most criticism during Year 2 of his career. He averaged 1.7 blocks per game (12th in the NBA) but wasn't exactly the shot-altering fiend Saunders coveted when he traded ninth overall pick Trey Burke to Utah for Dieng and Shabazz Muhammad two drafts ago. Opponents connected on 53.8 percent of 2-point field goals when Dieng was defending them this past season; that's a 4.5-point increase from said opponents' average shooting percentage.

Fatigue, Saunders surmised, largely played a role. Dieng played 30 minutes per game, thanks in large part to Pekovic missing 51 contests.

"He hasn't been able to sleep at night, he's been so tired," Saunders said at one point.

Overall: C+

But receiving so many minutes, as is the case with most of Minnesota's young contingent, could prove beneficial for Dieng in the long run.

"That was very important for me," he said. "I had a chance to show what I can do. . . . I think that shows I can play a lot of minutes and continue to be durable."

Fill them with a bit more finish at both ends of the floor, and Dieng will soon graduate from being a C-plus player. Prove in Year 3 his ceiling's already been reached, and Dieng's not much better than the average NBA center.

"The summer's going to be busy for me, as usual," Dieng said ahead of a pivotal offseason for himself and his team, "but I will do the best I can, just get better next season."

The slate includes Olympic qualifying play with Senegal in late August, Basketball Without Borders and an NBA-sponsored exhibition Aug. 1 in Johannesburg, South Africa. Dieng plans to continue adding strength to his game and working on that jumper, with hopes of playing both the four and five as the Wolves eye a healthier 2015-16 season. They could draft a big man with the top-four pick they're guaranteed in the lottery, but in any case, it appears Dieng remains part of Minnesota's long-term plans for now.

"Gorgui, who's important to us," Saunders said, "can solidify that (center) position."

Next: Chase Budinger

Follow Phil Ervin on Twitter