Ranking Sixers’ 25-and-under players based on potential

Ranking 25-and-under Sixers — 8. Charles Bassey

Charles Bassey is another player who could be on the outside of the roster bubble looking in once preseason concludes. He’s also another player who should be expeditiously picked up by another team. There are valid concerns about his offensive contributions, but Bassey is a monster athlete who can swat shots, swallow rebounds, and finish at the rim. He should be able to carve out backup center minutes somewhere at some point.

He’s another unfortunate victim of Philadelphia’s improved depth chart. Paul Reed, Montrezl Harrell, and P.J. Tucker are all ahead of him in the backup center rotation. There’s no reason to roster another center, especially when Bassey hasn’t meaningfully distinguished himself from other young players competing for the same roster spot.

Again, the tools are all there. Bassey was once a top-five high school recruit who many considered a potential top pick. Times change, however, and there are only so many spots available for offensively limited centers who play exclusively drop coverage. Bassey’s rim protection should eventually offset his offensive shortcomings, but he needs more reps and experience to reach that point. Philadelphia cannot offer those reps.

Guys with his physical profile are going to stick around the league for a while. Bassey was drafted into something of an unfortunate situation given Philadelphia’s competitive status and reliance on an absolute mega-star at Bassey’s position. His second NBA team should be able to offer more opportunities.