Houston Rockets: 3 Prospects to target in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft

Houston Rockets NBA Draft 2nd round prospect #3: Charles Bassey

The 6 ft 11 center out of Western Kentucky is one of the most athletic big men in the entire draft. With a 7 ft 3 wingspan, Bassey showed all year why he was top five in block shots last year for the Hilltoppers.

Strengths: Bassey excels playing above the rim on offense and is a terror on the defensive end. As mentioned earlier, he is a menace in the paint, blocking and altering shots that he doesn’t get a hand on. Bassey is an excellent rim runner and will excel at rolling to the rim in pick and roll plays.

Bassey’s big frame also helps him on the boards, where he averaged 11.6 rebounds a game last year. He dominates on the offensive boards too, which led to many second-chance points for the Hilltoppers.

Weaknesses: Bassey, like most big men his size, has poor shooting touch and needs a lot more work at the next level. He had the green light at Western Kentucky, which led to some spotty shot selection and bad misses that led to run-outs for their opponents.

He has to work on his post passing and secondary passing as he tends to hold onto the ball too long, which throws off quick-hitting plays.

Outlook: With an NBA-ready frame and athleticism for days, Bassey could become a decent ninth or tenth player in the Rockets’ rotation on day one. His ultimate ceiling will be determined by how his offensive game matures.