North Carolina’s Nassir Little has one of the highest ceilings in this year’s NBA Draft, but you may question that if you look at stats printed on paper only. In just 18.2 minutes per game, the freshman forward averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds. Yet, dig deeper within. He shot it with 47.8% accuracy from the field, which is above-average, but his intangibles are what makes him so intriguing as a prospect. Nassir has a high motor and plays larger than his 6’6” height.
Little needs to continue to work on his three-point shot (26.9% from outside at UNC), but that should not shy a team away from him in the first-round. He boasted a 20.0 Player Efficiency Rating (PER) in under 20 minutes per game. That alone speaks volumes for the impact he can have with a team. Now imagine him playing starter’s minutes in a few years. This is why he is a great pick for the future of the Boston Celtics organization.