Atlanta Hawks: 6 Underrated Prospects to Consider in 2019 NBA Draft

Charles Bassey

A 6-foot-11 center with a burly 245-pound frame, Charles Bassey of Western Kentucky produced an exceptional freshman campaign that deserves a special mention here. Beyond delivering double-doubles with regularity, Bassey was also a consistent blocks guy, whose 8.7 percent block rate was 42nd in the country according to KenPom.

Where Bassey truly shined was as a finisher around the basket. Bassey produced 14.6 points in 31.4 minutes a game for Western Kentucky, and his efficiency was sterling. Per KenPom, Bassey was 17th in the country in true shooting percentage at 67.3 percent. His 64.2 percent effective field goal percentage was 26th.

Bassey was also tops in Conference USA in player efficiency rating with a lofty 25.9, which was buoyed by his excellent rebounding ability. Bassey was third in both defensive rebound rate (24.6%) and total rebound rate (18.1%) in Conference USA, showing that he can leverage his size and length effectively around the basket to nab boards.

Most big men can’t play in today’s NBA if they can’t shoot, but Bassey shot 77 percent on 143 attempts from the free throw line while also splashing 9 of his 20 three-pointers on the year (45%).

Lastly, Bassey is one of the youngest players in this draft class: He will not turn 19 until October 20. With that in mind as well as his production in his freshman year, Bassey could be a real sleeper in the second round for the Atlanta Hawks if he is still available.

There you have it! The Atlanta Hawks 2019 NBA Draft is certainly going to be interesting – that much is certain.