Through no fault of his own, Gorgui Dieng earned a massive contract extension from the Minnesota Timberwolves as the NBA salary cap exploded prior to the 2016-17 season.
Now, Dieng is seen as a massively overpaid backup center. But his salary — he is overpaid, after all — belies his true value.
While some may look at Dieng and immediately assign the label of “outdated” to the 7-footer in this, the age of small-ball and stretch 4s and 5s, the Wolves big man possesses a few skills that are still vital in today’s NBA and carry important value.