NBA Draft Point Guard #5: Marcus Sasser, Houston
The Houston guard has been one of the best players in college basketball for several seasons. While his ceiling is up for debate, he should be a solid rotation player for years to come.
Marcus Sasser was an All-American last year, averaging 16.8 points and 3.1 assists per game. He also won AAC Player of the Year. Over the course of his collegiate career, he hit 36.9 percent of his three-pointers.
Sasser should be able to translate into a decent three-point shooter at the NBA level. He may even be a 3-and-D type, able to defend at an aggressive clip in the league. He’s a player who makes winning plays and inspires confidence in his teammates to perform well.
There are valid questions about Sasser’s distribution abilities at the next level. His assists total from last season, while unfavorable in the NBA, isn’t bad by college basketball standards. His 3.6 assists per 36 minutes leave something to be desired, though, as does his 0.75 assist percentage to usage rate ratio.
The big concern among teams about Sasser is his age. He’s already 22 years old and will have turned 23 by the time the 2023–24 season begins. That shouldn’t be a disqualifying factor, but being years older than some of the top prospects will inhibit his stock.
Projections for when Sasser will be picked run the gamut, but it seems like a late in the first round or early in the second round is the safest bet. While that doesn’t sound like a great spot for a point guard expected to be one of the best in his class, teams shouldn’t sweat it—just look at fellow early second-rounder Jalen Brunson.