2019 NBA Draft: 5 players with steal potential in the first round
By Nick Crain
2. Bol Bol
As the most boom-or-bust player in the entire 2019 NBA Draft class, Bol Bol is a complete mystery. While he could easily be the biggest steal in the entire draft, he could also just as easily be the biggest bust.
Bol is Sudanese-American and the son of former NBA center, Manute Bol. Coming out of high school in 2018, he was the fourth-best prospect according to ESPN.
Early in his lone college season, he appeared to be exactly the type of player he was hyped up to be. With an outrageous 7’7″ wingspan to go along with his 7’2″ height, Bol was not your typical big man. Rather than being physical and using his height near the rim the entire game, Bol used his unique skill to stretch the floor and shoot the 3-ball. On 2.8 attempts from deep per game, he connected on a ridiculous 52.0 percent of them. He was also a 75.7 percent free throw shooter, which is rare for a player of his height.
Overall, as a freshman, Bol Bol averaged 21.0 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. However, these numbers are deceiving as he went down with a season-ending injury after playing in only nine games. With a sample size that small, how much can you really evaluate someone like Bol Bol?
On top of recent injury concerns, the issues with him have always been his motor, work ethic and love for the game. Many teams could be afraid to use a first round pick on a player with questionable qualities like that. A large part of being a successful professional athlete is the drive and love for the game. If Bol lacks these things, how far can he take his extremely rare frame and skill?
Five years from now, 19-year-old Bol Bol has the potential to be one of the best players in NBA, or completely out of the league. When it comes down to it, there is a decent chance he is the biggest steal in the entire 2019 NBA Draft.