Getty Charles Bassey #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers blocks Steven Adams #4 of the Memphis Grizzlies at Wells Fargo Center on January 31, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Shortly before the season tipped off, the Sixers announced they elected to part ways with Charles Bassey. After selecting the big man with the 53rd overall pick in 2021, he saw limited time on the court throughout his tenure. The writing was on the wall during the preseason when Bassey did not receive extended time in the preseason with players like Michael Foster Jr appearing higher in the pecking order. It did not take long for Bassey to find a new landing spot as 22 NBA teams reached out to him following being cut from Philadelphia. He ultimately signed with the San Antonio Spurs and has already made his impact felt in a major way.
Charles Bassey is LEGIT. He possesses a striking combination of length, power, and fluidity of movement to go along with an elite motor. He has soft touch and good instincts as a rebounder and shot-blocker. Played with a ton of energy and put up 10-6-2-2-1 and +8 in 16 MP vs MEM.
Bassey’s Performance With Spurs
The Spurs started Bassey off at the G League level as was the case when he was with the Sixers. During his two games with the Austin Spurs, he averaged 26 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 3.5 blocks per game. Following this strong display Coach Gregg Popovich said the organization re-evaluated his role and stated, “He came in and played a couple of G League games, scored a thousand points, it was like, well, maybe we’re dumb, we should be playing this guy,” per Tom Petrini of Ken 5 San Antonio.
It is still early in the season but Bassey has already opened the door to earning a larger role with the Spurs. In his three games with the Spurs at the NBA level, he is averaging 7.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in just 14.7 minutes per game. He also looks to have added a three-point shot to his game and has played with an impressive effort level.
Popovich gave a more in-depth answer regarding what Bassey brings to the table as well. As he put it, “He’s aggressive, he’s a good defender, he moves the ball well — for not knowing what the strategy is offensively or defensively, he’s caught on very quickly,” per Matthew Tynam of The Athletic.
Charles Bassey has a hustle level you can’t teach
Flips a turnover into a dunk with pure effort
Sixers Struggles in Player Development
The most frustrating part is Bassey has not seen rapid development since going to San Antonio. Rather he showed these flashes with the Sixers but was not given an opportunity to prove what he can further be. Last season with the Delaware Blue Coats, Bassey averaged 18.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 3.4 blocks per game. The Western Kentucky product was named to the G League All-Defensive Team and All-Rookie Team due to his impressive effort.
Yes, the state of the Spurs organization is in a different place than the Sixers in terms of their desire to compete. While the Sixers have their focus on contending this year San Antonio is further leaning into player development. However, it is frustrating for the Sixers to still not have answered the backup center problems and a player like Bassey shining in this exact role on an opposing team.
Jaden Springer is COOKING for the @blue_coats! 👨🍳
He needed just 6 minutes to drop 10 points as Delaware and @CapitalCityGoGo are tied at 31 after 1 on t.co/fLGfbNIU1o
This is a problem that lies beyond just Bassey. The Sixers have developed Paul Reed at a snail’s pace and shown an unwillingness to give him on-court minutes. Jaden Springer was selected with the 28th overall pick last year and has played a total of 10 minutes at the NBA level. Matisse Thybulle is the exact same player he was when he came out of college four years ago and there is an argument to be made that he has regressed. Tyrese Maxey is the lone exception to this, but this is a larger credit to the young guard’s relentless work ethic and how Ben Simmons’ holdout opened the door for him to have an expanded on-court opportunity.
The Sixers obviously have their main focus on contending as the championship window is perceived to be open at the moment. However, this is no excuse to fully ignore developing young talent within the organization. This is essential to long-term organizational success as it is much easier to have drafted players step into rotational roles rather than finding veteran role players in free agency or the trade market. The failure to do this has been clear in recent years and is a problem that will haunt them even further down the line if changes are not made.