2019 NBA Draft: 5 players with steal potential in the first round
By Nick Crain
5. Nassir Little
Out of the University of North Carolina, Nassir Little has the potential to be a star at the NBA level. Little was the sixth-best prospect coming out of high school in his class, according to ESPN. He came into college expected to be one of the best players in the country. Surprisingly, he was pretty disappointing based on his potential.
In his lone season at North Carolina, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per game. Although those are solid numbers for a freshman, they were much lower than anticipated for a prospect of his caliber.
Even on a powerhouse team like UNC, Little was projected to be an immediate starter and one of the biggest stars on the roster. In 36 games played last season, he started in zero and played a bench role then entire season.
At 6’6″ with a 7’1″ wingspan, Little has the frame to be a solid wing player on both ends of the floor at the NBA level. Still just 19 years old, he’s worth taking a risk on due to the type of player he could be down the road. He will need to improve his 3-point shooting, as he only connected on 26.9 percent of his shots from deep as a freshman.
Little has the wingspan to be an effective, versatile defender at the next level. If he can reach his potential and fine-tune his shot and overall offensive game, he could be a very effective player in the NBA.
Due to his disappointing freshman season, Little is projected to go in the late lottery into the middle of the second round. For a player with the type of potential he has, he could end up being a steal relative to where he’s drafted.