South Carolina Basketball: Former Gamecock star puts up ABSURD stat line as a professional

Chris Silva is one of the best players to ever wear a South Carolina basketball uniform.

The Gabonese big man played four seasons in Columbia, finishing his career with over 1500 points (10th), almost 900 rebounds (6th), nearly 200 blocks (5th), and almost 600 made free throws (3rd). No player who attempted more than 50 3-pointers made them at a higher percentage in garnet and black than Silva, either (48.3%).

He is also the all-time leader across all of college basketball in personal fouls (470), something that will come as no surprise to anyone who watched him play.

He went undrafted after the 2018-2019 season, but he was quickly scooped up by the Miami Heat in free agency. Since then, Silva has played in several organizations, including stops with the Miami Heat, Sacramento Kings, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Now, back with the Atlanta Hawks organization (playing in the G-League with the College Park Sky Hawks), Silva is playing very well.

On Wednesday, the former Gamecock dropped an absolutely ridiculous 30-point, 20-rebound performance on the heads of the Delaware Blue Coats (the G-League affiliate of the Philadelphia 76ers).

The Sky Hawks couldn't pull off the victory, but the game was another on a run of big-time performances for Silva. On the season, he is averaging over 20 points and over 10 rebounds per game. He also is making 70% of his shots from the field and has made 2/3 of 3-pointers.

Unfortunately, the Atlanta Hawks have a lot of players who can play power forward on their active roster, including high-upside young players Oneka Okongwu and Jalen Johnson. A call-up for Silva doesn't seem likely. However, other teams have to be looking at the former South Carolina basketball star's production and thinking about signing him to a 10-day contract.

After playing in a reserve role for the Heat as a rookie, Silva has not played more than 15 games in the NBA in any season, spending most of his time in the G-League. He is not eligible for a two-way contract, so any elevation from the Hawks or contract purchase by another team would have to start with a 10-day deal or a full season contract.