In the Atlanta Hawks' third preseason game today, the team rested the regular season rotation and let the bench unit have a proper tryout. With just Vit Krejci's stabilizing presence to guide the team, the depths of Atlanta's roster were put on full display.
One of the critical questions Onsi Saleh and Quin Snyder must answer is who will be the team's third-string center? While third-string centers rarely rack up minutes, this role is uniquely important considering Kristaps Porzingis's extensive injury history.
The Hawks had two clear options: Charles Bassey and N'Faly Dante. Bassey is a 24 year-old rebounding specialist out of Western Kentucky who had some impressive moments over his career as Victor Wembanyama's backup. Dante, who turns 24 on Sunday, has just four regular season NBA games to his name but dominated the G League last season. Both players were signed this summer to compete for this coveted third-string spot.
The Hawks have been unable to assess these two on a level playing field up to this point. With Kristaps Porzingis and Onyeka Okongwu playing for the majority of the competitive portion of the games up to today, Bassey and Dante were left to beat up on opponents' third-stringers. Today, the two young bigs finally had their chance to prove themselves against real NBA competition.
Both centers made a compelling argument for the final spot
Bassey had a clear advantage in the stat line today, tallying 7 points, 17 rebounds, 2 steals, and 5 blocks in what can only be described as a monstrous outing. However, Bassey shared the floor with Bam Adebayo for just 7.5 of his 31 minutes. He struggled to replicate the high-level impact while Adebayo was on the floor, which diminishes the stock Atlanta can put into his dominant performance.
Dante, on the other hand, only recorded four points, seven rebounds, three steals, and a block in 21 minutes of action. Despite the lower minute totals, Dante started the game and played 13.5 of his minutes against Adebayo. Where Bassey shank against the better competition, Dante rose. Concerning the eye test, Dante was simply bullying Adebayo in the paint. He appeared to be a defensive monster, getting his hand on everything in the paint (including his opponents, finishing with a slightly worrying four fouls).
Atlanta has a good problem on their hands. Both players proved their strengths hold up to some extent against Adebayo, a three-time All-Star. While refinement will be necessary over the course of the season, the Hawks will have plenty of time to coach these players in their roles before the playoffs.
If Atlanta had to make a decision today, they should opt to retain both players but plan on Bassey being above Dante in the depth chart to start the season. Dante clearly has the greater potential if he can develop his offensive game, and today looked like the better player. Despite this, Bassey will be entering his fifth year as a pro on opening night, while Dante enters his fifth regular season NBA game. This experience against the best of the best is irreplaceable, and Dante must work to catch up to Bassey.
Regardless of how the Hawks play this situation, they can finally feel confident that they have a legitimate NBA player behind Okongwu when disaster inevitably strikes.