Kristaps Porzingis' career has fallen through the cracks since the Boston Celtics traded him away for reasons beyond his control. This news was initially unwelcome to the Golden State Warriors, but since then, they've been on a roll.
Many factors have gone into how they have rebounded quite well. Yaxel Lendeborg bursting onto the scene has certainly helped a Warriors team that many have counted out, but he's only one piece. Their frontcourt has been sturdy, and not just because of him, Draymond Green, and old friend Al Horford. Nope, they've survived because of the rise of Celtics alum Charles Bassey.
Bassey's not exactly a known alum to Celtics fans. He only played five games for the team last season before getting his break with the Warriors. However, he has proven himself to be a solid rotation player for the team, which has come in quite handy because Porzingis isn't exactly someone who is easy to replace.
Bassey's not a star, but he's had standout performances against teams like Phoenix, where he put up 19 points and eight rebounds on seven-for-10 shooting. His stats won't jump off the page, but they are impressive for a limited contributor.
He's appeared in seven of the Warriors' nine games, where he's averaged seven points, 5.3 rebounds, and one block while shooting 65.5% from the field in nearly 12 minutes a game. He's providing energy and physicality to a team that desperately needs it when entering a season with plenty of uncertainty.
In terms of net rating, Golden State has been much better with Bassey on the floor, as they are a team-best plus-21.4 when he's on the floor (most of the damage being done defensively). He's proven to be a keeper when the Warriors needed just that.
It's further proof of Boston's eye for talent
Bassey's time in Boston was brief, and it's not like anyone's heart was broken when he left for his next opportunity in Golden State. However, the brief time he played as a Celtic shows that they can find diamonds in the rough, which they have been doing for the past few years.
Between Sam Hauser, Luke Kornet, Luka Garza, Ron Harper Jr., and maybe even Devin Carter not too long from now, the Celtics have proven they can find talent from the least likely of places. Maybe in hindsight, they would have kept Bassey if they knew he had this in him, but you can't keep 'em all.
It's also so funny that Golden State is so fascinated with former Celtics bigs, as three of them are on their roster. Porzingis and Horford are by far the most high-profile Boston alumni on that team, but Bassey might just wind up being the most useful.
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