Philadelphia 76ers rookie Charles Bassey will not play Monday on the road versus the Toronto Raptors as the team finalizes his work visa, head coach Doc Rivers said over the weekend.
The issue is considered to be an isolated incident as Bassey is not expected to miss any additional time during the season. Rivers did not view the loss of Bassey as a big deal because the 53rd overall pick has been a full participant in training camp.
“Bassey playing this game doesn’t matter one way or the other, to be honest,” Rivers said, via Ky Carlin of Sixers Wire. “He’s had all the practices. He’s gonna miss one game so I don’t think that matters except for he needs to get into a game and he will. There’s nothing you can do about this. This is stuff that happens when travel. So it’s not a big deal today.”
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Bassey did not play with the 76ers during the Las Vegas Summer League after he and his camp were unable to agree to terms on a contract. He eventually signed a three-year contract with the team last week that allowed him to participate in training camp.
He was named a third-team All-American last season after averaging 17.6 points, 11.6 rebounds and 3.1 blocked shots. He was named the Conference USA Player of the Year and was the first Western Kentucky player to earn All-American honors in 50 years.
The Sixers bought the 53rd pick from the New Orleans Pelicans for $2 million, so they certainly liked what they saw from him in college. The team had wanted to draft a frontcourt player, and Bassey projects to be a good option.
He will now have his first chance to play with the Sixers on Thursday vs. the Raptors.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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