Bol Bol was widely expected to be a lottery pick heading into the 2019 NBA Draft. His precipitous fall stunned media observers and apparently fellow draftmates as well.
The NBA polled all NBA rookies and they picked the Nuggets rookie center (No. 44 pick) along with the Cavaliers’ Kevin Porter Jr. (No. 30) as the biggest steals of the draft. Bol and Porter Jr. both received 19 percent of the overall vote. Bol also received a few votes for the best rookie defender out of the 2019 class.
Bol, 19, had an impressive season for Oregon before injuring his left foot in a win against the University of San Diego as he averaged 21 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.7 blocks while shooting 56.1 percent from the field. He was also sharp from beyond the arc as he converted 52 percent of his attempts from downtown. He is the son of the late former NBA player Manute Bol and was the No. 4 ranked prospect, according to ESPN and Rivals, headed into his freshman season with the Ducks.