Dragan Bender.

Klay Thompson was an is a standout defender. Hield is not.

If Hield was a good ball handler, or a great athlete, or a good passer, or a good/great defender, he'd be more than just a shooter.

But right now he's just a shooter. Hoping for more is just that, hope.

Though it should be noted that 210-212 is strong for a SG, not weak. Avery Bradley and Ben McLemore and RJ Hunter are weak SGs at 180-185 lbs. Hield has 30+ lbs on those guys.

http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/5/19/11711150/dragan-bender-nba-draft-2016-boston-celtics-phoenix-suns



The case for Dragan Bender as the 3rd-best player in the 2016 NBA Draft



By Kevin O'Connor  @KevinOConnorNBA


on May 19, 2016, 10:55a 193




Roberto Serra/Iguana Press/Getty Images
The 18-year-old Croatian can be the type of elite role player every NBA team craves.



It's OK if your favorite team didn't end up with a top-two pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. When we look back at this draft class 10 years from now, there's a good chance the best player won't be Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram. There are plenty of great consolation prizes to be had.

One of them is Dragan Bender, a 7'1 forward with skills tailor made for the modern NBA. Bender has shooting range, passing vision and defensive versatility.

But there is a caveat: He's a raw 18-year-old -- the youngest player in the draft -- and these are merely projectable qualities. Any team that drafts him is taking a risk, though he's worth the chance.

If you're looking for an NBA comparison, players like Boris Diaw, Andrei Kirilenko and Nikola Mirotic fit the mold of what Bender could one day become. Bender idolizes fellow Croatian Toni Kukoč, and he's adapted many of his versatile talents.

https://gfycat.com/WhimsicalCaringAardwolf

Bender plays just 12 minutes per game for Maccabi Tel Aviv, and most of his time is spent either spotting up or pick-and-popping. He's an effective three-point shooter, at 38.5 percent on the year, with simple, compact mechanics.

He's improved rapidly in recent years, but he still needs to make strides since he has a gradual release that enables defenders to get a hand in his face. This leads to wild misses and air balls, so he'll need to make more adjustments before becoming a knockdown shooter in the NBA.

Anytime a 7-footer can theoretically shoot like Bender, they automatically have potential to attack closeouts at a high level. He's a basic straight-line driver, but even at this point it's not easy for lumbering bigs to contain him.

However, Bender also takes off on his layups too far away from the rim, which can be a hard habit to break. He's not going to posterize many rim protectors, so he'll need to get more creative around the rim and stop settling for floaters.

https://gfycat.com/WaryJubilantCobra


Perhaps more importantly, Bender needs to keep improving as a ball handler. The rock weighs him down right now, especially when he goes left. His lack of an off-hand is understandable at this stage of his development, but it's an area that could set him apart if he's able to develop it.

Bender is a tremendous passer, which is where the Diaw and Kukoč comparisons are rooted. He's deliberate, reads the floor like a point guard, executes the simple play and can make the flashy play, too. He puts zip on the ball and can accurately deliver dimes off the dribble. He's no Simmons, but within the flow of an offense, Bender could develop into a valuable playmaker.

Plus, Bender has a knack for tossing ridiculous outlet passes that would make Kevin Love proud.

https://gfycat.com/GloomyInsignificantKagu


If Bender does tighten his handle, his combination of shooting, dribbling and passing makes him an impactful player on a nightly basis. His lack of athleticism limits his ability to be a go-to scorer. His lack of a mid-range and post game limits his ability to score from all levels. And it's hard to project a drastic level of improvement. But even after all that, the tools are there for him to be a winning player on offense.

For the Celtics, Suns, Wolves or any team looking to trade up, that alone might be enough to make them pull the trigger. But then you look at his defense and that's where you start to realize he could be better than anyone expects.

Bender has a 7'2 wingspan and he's rapidly getting stronger while maintaining his agility.

https://gfycat.com/SameVariableKatydid


Check out how quickly Bender moves laterally in this clip. He's attentive, stays in his stance and uses the rule of verticality to block the layup (MY NOTE:  He's in yellow, patrolling the low paint). He's not a great leaper, so no one should ever expect him to be a rim protector in the traditional sense. But in small-ball lineups he can at least comfortably take on the responsibility.

Bender could also develop into a stellar pick-and-roll defender that can contain in multiple ways. In a positionless league, being able to switch and defend different types of players is key, and this is an area where he could someday excel.

Though Bender needs to prove he can stay in front of elite wings and guards on defense, the outside possibility is at least there that he develops into a five-position defender. He has a high work ethic, plays his ass off and has already shown flashes against grown men in the Israeli League. So the signs are there that it could happen, and if it does, then that makes him an insanely valuable piece.

But like any teenager, Bender is rough around the edges on defense. He bites for too many pump fakes and makes questionable decisions as the helper. These are nit-picky flaws though, as the real hurdle will be for him to translate his skills to the NBA, despite not having ideal athleticism.

Versatility is integral to success in the league, so Dragan Bender's defense is ultimately what puts him in the conversation as a top pick. He might be a risk, but it's calculated. It's easy to see him developing into a versatile role player and in the right situation those glue guys sometimes blossom into something special.



bob
MY NOTE:  18 years old and shoots 38.5% from 3.  That will only improve with time. 7'1" and could still grow another inch or two.  Has been playing against men, bigger and older men, for a couple of years now.  A 7'1+" Tony Kukoc?  Whoa.


.

His 38.5% from 3 is on a small sample size though. And it's the first time he's put up a % like that. And his FT shooting % is always in the 60s or 70s, nothing that screams great shooter.

As of right now it looks like his 3pt % is down to .362 on just 25-69. Marcus Smart has probably had a stretch that good.

and 72% FT shooting, but he rarely gets to the line.


http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Dragan-Bender/Summary/41582

But we can check back on his stats over the next month or few weeks since his season isn't over.

arambone wrote:His 38.5% from 3 is on a small sample size though. And it's the first time he's put up a % like that. And his FT shooting % is always in the 60s or 70s, nothing that screams great shooter.

As of right now it looks like his 3pt % is down to .362 on just 25-69. Marcus Smart has probably had a stretch that good.

and 72% FT shooting, but he rarely gets to the line.


http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Dragan-Bender/Summary/41582

But we can check back on his stats over the next month or few weeks since his season isn't over.

Marcus had a 13 game stretch between Feb. 2 and Feb. 21 where he was 27 for 66 (40.9%). For the other 48 games this year he was 34 for 175, a horrid 19.4%. Which is the real Marcus? Those 13 games or the other 48? If it's a combination of the two, he was 25.3%, maybe the worst in the league for anyone with more than 200 attempts.

So how good a three point shooter is Bender really?

I think Brad Stevens should be in charge of the third pick.  From his origins as a top college coach, he understands raw talent and the probability of a college kid becoming a productive if not top pro.

Danny, stand aside and let Brad do the picking!

112288

Just a further note, Hield has a very funny jump shot and I think he fails as a pro shooter. Just my 3 cents from beyond the arc.

112288

112288 wrote:I think Brad Stevens should be in charge of the third pick.  From his origins as a top college coach, he understands raw talent and the probability of a college kid becoming a productive if not top pro.

Danny, stand aside and let Brad do the picking!

112288

I think Danny respects Brad so much that Brad will really be a full partner in the decision. Brad only has 2-3 years left on his contract

Although this is a Bender thread, it's turned into a Hield discussion.

I'm obviously rooting for us to take Hield, based on the repetitive posts I'm putting up whenever the opportunity presents itself.

I find it interesting reading various sources, dug up on line, on Hield (or others) talking about his limits and expectations.  So many of these drawn from online video.  Useless online video, since it can selectively show anything, good or bad.

You have to watch the games!

Hield is an all around guard prospect.  Can shoot from the outside, can drive, dish and has a nice handle.  Dude can defend his position well.  Mature at 22, not an 18-year old baby.  And at 22, having played a full slate of NCAA games, certainly has upside when he hits the NBA.

Held would let us package a deal using our best trade asset, Avery Bradley, and replace him with a guard who is ready to play now, not in two years.

Trash the garbage videos, tweet at birds.  Want to know who might make a good draft selection?  Watch the games!



...AND that's also why I would be leery about Bender.  Anyone actually seen an entire game?  Against at least D1 level competition?

For about 70 years I have enjoyed the excitement that goes with the draft and trades ( baseball, basketball and football ) Never got good at making predictions - over rated my general manager talent level - and about 25 years ago I retired to a much safer approach to handicapping the draft. Now, about 5 years after each draft,I select those players that I reason that I would have selected on the day of the draft. My success rate has gone through the ceiling.


swish

Buddy Hield is a sure fire guy.

There is no evidence to the contrary.  He is the best shooting guard in the the draft.  There should be no questions about his talent unless you choose to disagree with the Awards his took home.

Dboss

swish wrote:For about 70 years I have enjoyed the excitement that goes with the draft and trades ( baseball, basketball and football )  Never got good at making predictions - over rated my general manager talent level -  and about 25 years ago I retired to a much safer approach to handicapping the draft. Now, about 5 years after each draft,I select those players that I reason that I would have selected on the day of the draft. My success rate has gone through the ceiling.


  swish

swish,

Good one.


bob


.

There are new DX video scouting reports available.  They are not yet on youtube, so I can't copy-and-paste them here, but here is the link if you want to go out and see them right away.

When they get on youtube, I'll bring them over.

If you go to youtube to look for them yourselves, be careful to look at when they were released.  There were some pre-season reports from DX released 6 months ago.  These are new, posted today.


http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Dragan-Bender-NBA-Draft-Scouting-Report-and-Video-Breakdown-5531


Dragan Bender NBA Draft Scouting Report and Video Breakdown


by: Derek Bodner - College Basketball Scout, Mike Schmitz

June 6, 2016


Scouting Report by Derek Bodner. Video Analysis by Mike Schmitz


Few players heading into the draft represent the paradigm shift of what NBA teams are looking for out of their big men more than Dragan Bender does.

Bender, a 7'1”, 216 pound Croatian big man has spent the last two seasons playing professionally in Israel. He posted a successful 2014-15 season with Ramat Gan in the Liga Leumit, Israel's second division, which saw him average 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.1 blocks in just over 28 minutes per night. This season, his first with Maccabi Fox Tel Aviv in the Premier League, saw Bender struggle to see consistent playing time against much older competition, getting just over 14 minutes per game in league play, and even less in the few Euroleague appearances he saw action in.

Bender was not in an optimal place for development, as Maccabi Tel Aviv (fresh off losing the Israel league championship last June) struggled through another tumultuous season, again missing out on an Israeli league championship with another semifinal loss. The storied franchise missed the Euroleague Top-16 for the first time in club history, while replacing their head coach mid-season, which hardly solved their problems. All things considered, it's not a shock that Bender had a difficult time carving out a major role for the team at age 18, but it did limit the opportunities NBA executives had to evaluate him.



The first thing that jumps out when looking at Bender is his physical profile. Standing 7'1”, with a 9'3” standing reach and a slender 216 pound frame, Bender's profile is both the basis for much of his intrigue, but also for much of his present-day shortcomings.

The biggest improvement in Bender's game has been from the perimeter, where he's shooting 36% from three-point range in combined Euroleague/Eurocup/Israeli League play, including 39.2% in the Israeli league, where he sees the majority of his minutes. He's struggled a bit of late, including 1-for-14 from three-point range over his last seven games, but his improvement from the perimeter is key for his stock, especially in a league that values floor spacing from the front court positions as much as ever.

That recent 1-for-14 stretch showcases some of Bender's streakiness, which may in part be related to a long release which takes some time to get his shot off and can lead to some inconsistency in his shooting motion. Still, it would be impossible not to be impressed by the improvement in Bender's shot, as he connected on just 26.9% of his attempts from deep last season. Even if the overall sample size of just 86 attempts on the season isn't quite enough to give 100% confidence the improvement as fully sustainable, Bender has notably cleaned up his mechanics over the past year, and has always had a soft touch that suggested he'd see improvement down the line, and transferring some of that shooting potential into realized production is a positive development for the 18-year-old.

One area of Bender's offensive profile that he didn't get a chance to showcase in his role with Maccabi is his impressive passing and court vision for a 7-footer. This is a skill set that could prove useful in his future role in the NBA, either as a high-low passer from the top of the key or when attacking the closeouts he'll receive if he continues to improve his shot. Bender uses his size well as a passer, being able to see over the defense thanks to his 7'1” height, can push the ball in transition, and has even shown a knack for timing, such as handling the ball in pick and roll situations. As the NBA prioritizes secondary playmakers and good decision makers at all positions, this area of Bender's game could prove extremely valuable.

In transition is another way that Bender finds a way to contribute, as he has the ability to both push the ball in the open floor off of a defensive rebound and also fill a lane on the break. Bender is quick for his size and gets out of the gate quickly, a transition from defense to offense that is hard for most big men to keep up with.

Outside of that, most of Bender's contributions on the offensive side of the court come off the ball. He shows some ability as a slasher, but that's mostly limited to attacking closeouts, as while he has excellent mobility and fluidity for a seven footer, he's not yet proficient at changing directions or speeds with the ball in his hands. Bender also moves fairly well for cuts off the ball, and will crash the offensive glass on occasion, flying in from the perimeter, even if his lack of size and strength prevents him from being a consistent contributor in this phase of the game.

Where Bender's uniqueness really starts to show is on the defensive side of the court. While Bender was able to block 5.7% of his opponents shots while he was on the court during Israeli League play, thanks in large part to his 9'3” standing reach and solid timing and shot blocking instincts, Bender's average explosive ability as a leaper likely limits his impact in this regard somewhat.

If Bender were limited to a seven footer and block an occasional shot, he'd still have quite a bit of intrigue, even if he might be a little underwhelming as a top prospect. What sets Bender apart is how well he moves his feet on the perimeter, something that is almost unheard of for a player his size. Because of Bender's underdeveloped frame, he struggled mightily to defend post-up players, despite the size advantage he enjoyed most nights. This caused Maccabi to place him on a perimeter player more often than you would typically see for a seven footer. To Bender's credit, he was able to hold his own.

Bender gets in an excellent defensive stance, has great lateral foot speed, uses his length well to deny dribble penetration, and has excellent technique when closing out on shooters. Overall, Bender has a high basketball IQ and impressive toughness on the defensive end for a player of his age, is always engaged and with his head on a swivel, surveying the court, making the right rotations, and providing excellent help defense.

This combination of surprising perimeter mobility, length, and knowledge of how to play the angles and deny dribble penetration could come in handy in the NBA, where defensive versatility and the ability to switch ball screens have become a virtual prerequisite for the modern big man. Bender's unique combination of size, length, and mobility could become a real competitive advantage for a team, particularly as he continues to fill into his frame.



One area where Bender's youth shows up on the defensive side of the court is how frequently he picks up fouls, racking up nearly 7.4 fouls per 40 minutes in Israeli league play. Many of these fouls were a combination of unnecessary reaches, being a second late when cutting off the driving perimeter player, or getting bullied in the post, and are likely more a result of the gap in experience between Bender and his opponents than a long-term concern. Still, it's something to note, and impacted Bender's overall production as a defender for Maccabi last year.

Outside of defending the post, the other area where Bender's high center of gravity and poorly developed frame hurt him defensively is on the glass, where Bender grabbed just 5.9 defensive rebounds per 40 minutes, pace adjusted, and just 15.5% of the available defensive rebounds while he was on the court during Israeli League play. Bender is moved off of his spot far too easily at this point in his development, and doesn't yet show the great anticipation skills to really make up for that. Core strength could be the biggest impediment to Bender finding consistent playing time early on in his NBA career.

The success Kristaps Porzingis enjoyed during his rookie season is both a blessing and a curse for Bender. On the one hand, Porzingis' success helps chip away at the negative stigma associated with perimeter-focused European prospects, something which is undeniably a positive for future prospects in a similar mold. On the other hand, it may create unrealistic expectations for the early part of Bender's career. Porzingis was over a year older than the 18-year-old Bender when he entered the NBA, having received a significant bump in playing time in the tough ACB, seasoning which no doubt helped ease his transition to the NBA.

Looking at Bender as a prospect requires a fair amount of projection, not just because of his extreme youth and lack of playing time, but also because he's just scratching the surface on many of his skills. Despite showing a high base on a diverse set of skills, it could be a couple of years before Bender turns that into consistent production at the NBA level. Still, Bender's skill set, and athletic profile, is so unique, and so coveted in today's NBA, his potential as an impact role player would be very difficult to pass up. By all accounts, Bender is an extremely hard worker who consistently plays the game with a high energy level and great confidence, which should give decision makers confidence he can continue to improve his overall skill level, and the combination of all that should place him near the top of the draft on June 23rd.


bob



.

http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2016/06/2016_nba_mock_draft_why_the_bo.html



2016 NBA Mock Draft: Why the Boston Celtics should select Dragan Bender




Dragan Bender: Croatia Highlights



Jay King | mjking@masslive.com By Jay King | mjking@masslive.com


on June 07, 2016 at 11:15 AM, updated June 07, 2016 at 11:20 AM



In this NBA Draft, the third pick feels like the great unknown, the spot where the consensus spontaneously combusts. When KFAN in Salt Lake City asked me to participate in a mock draft as a fake representative of the Boston Celtics, I initially had no clue who to pick. I study the prospects. I pick people's brains to learn more. I try to inform myself however possible. And still, I change my mind just about every day.

When I'm feeling bold, the Celtics should pick Marquese Chriss and all of his untapped potential. When I remember the first round of the playoffs, they should take Buddy Hield and wait for all the swishes to pile up. Depending on the day, Dragan Bender, Jamal Murray, Kris Dunn and Jaylen Brown can all sing to me. I know none of those players fill Boston's weaknesses perfectly, but Danny Ainge swears he will select the prospect most likely to reach a high potential. When you draft a player, you can have him under team control for as many as nine seasons. It's not wise to take a short-sighted approach.

The Celtics could use a wing with size. They need shooting (pretty desperately). They fielded a top-five defense without a rim protector, but how stingy could they be with someone to erase shots in the paint? Mostly, they just need helpful players. As CelticsBlog's Jeff Clark described things recently...


Follow
CelticsBlog @celticsblog
To recap: Celts got beat by the Hawks who got smoked by the Cavs who are getting smoked by the Warriors. We gotta he a lot better.
2:34 PM - 6 Jun 2016
 26 26 Retweets   98 98 likes


With all that in mind, I sat down to determine my pick. In the mock draft, Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram went No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, just as they are expected to go in the real thing. Before officially delivering my selection, I tweeted to find out who other people would choose. One guy told me he would "stomp to the gates of Twitter" to get my blue check removed if I chose Jaylen Brown or Buddy Hield. More people than I anticipated replied with some version of a Fab Melo joke. A couple of funny guys suggested I should pick myself, as if the Celtics should want a mildly overweight, 6-foot-2 semi-shooter who once sat the bench for one of the worst Division-III teams in the country.

The best response was probably this:

Follow
Jared Thorne @planetjared
@ByJayKing Marshall Plumlee. He's got the lineage.
12:20 PM - 6 Jun 2016
 Retweets   likes


Or this:

Follow
Kevin O'Connor @KevinOConnorNBA
@ByJayKing Thomas Walkup. Be like that guy who picks Tim Tebow with their first rounder in fantasy football mock drafts. I'm serious.
12:18 PM - 6 Jun 2016
 Retweets   9 9 likes
(Note: I pulled a hamstring jumping on the Thomas Walkup bandwagon during the NCAA tournament.)


After a few laughs, the strongest lessons from my Twitter quiz were: 1) hardly anybody agrees about the third pick, and 2) a lot of people have strong opinions anyway. Whoever the Celtics take, some people will hate Danny Ainge, while others will consider him a genius.

Ultimately, I selected Dragan Bender. Why him? At 18, he's the youngest player in the draft. A mobile 7-footer who could one day offer so much -- switching screens, defending multiple positions, spacing the court, scoring in transition, finding open teammates -- he has already separated himself against international (youth) competition. Bender hasn't posted great stats this season, but he was 17 when the campaign started. He could have spent the year falling asleep at a desk while his English teacher droned on and on about The Catcher in the Rye or some other book high school seniors read but can't fully comprehend. Instead, he gained experience in one of the world's top professional leagues. His role was minimized, but that's typically how it goes for youngsters playing against grown men. At other levels, Bender has flashed playmaking prowess, which would make him a great fit in Brad Stevens' offense. The Celtics demand plenty of ball-handling from their bigs.

Other prospects might help more right away, but the Celtics have enough role players already. If they keep the pick (maybe a big if), they should be looking for someone with the potential to make a real difference. Bender has that type of ceiling, plus enough IQ to make you think he won't flop.

Would Bender deliver a huge impact right away? Probably not. Is he the second coming of Kristaps Porzingis? No. For a number of reasons that comparison doesn't seem fair. Would he lift the Celtics into the second round of the playoffs or beyond? Not immediately, and stop trying to put so much pressure on a teenager. Give him time to figure things out, and I'm guessing he'll be pretty darn good.

Still, I reserve the right to change my mind tomorrow. Or even later today. Have you seen that dude Chriss' highlights?


bob


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https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2016/06/21/celtic-fans-guide-dragan-bender



The Celtics fan’s guide to falling in love with Dragan Bender


Bender fits a need for the Celtics, but will he live up to his potential?




Dragan Bender spent this past basketball season playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv. –Rina Castelnuovo/The New York Times


By Brian Robb  10:41 AM




The Basics:

Position: Power forward

Height: 7-1

Weight: 225 lbs

Age: 18

Team: Maccabi Tel Aviv, Israel (professional)

The Game: Bender is the international man of mystery in this year’s draft after spending his 2015-16 season riding the bench for one of Europe’s top teams as an 18-year-old. He has displayed impressive speed and shot-creation ability for a player of his size. A developing 3-point shot has also been added to his arsenal, but it’s fair to assume NBA teams will have to wait a couple years for him to mature into a reliable contributor stateside. Even then, questions about his strength and scoring ability will give teams pause about his long-term ceiling.


The Statistics (2015-16 season): 10.6 mpg, 2.1ppg, 1.4 rpg

NBA-ready Skill: Court vision. The Bosnia native played a large chunk of his teenage years in Croatia as a guard and those skills have remained after his growth spurt. He’s not only comfortable handling the ball for a big, but he can also create opportunities for his teammates off the bounce and in the open floor.

Needs to Improve: Strength. Bender has a very thin frame for a 7-foot-1 forward, which causes him to struggle with post defense and defensive rebounding. As one of the youngest players in this year’s draft, he will have plenty of time to add muscle. Until then, battling in the trenches at the NBA level will be a tall order.

The Hype: Declining. At one point in the NBA season, Bender was in the conversation for a potential No. 2 or 3 pick in the 2016 draft. With more teams getting a close look at him in recent weeks, Phoenix at No. 4 is popping up as a more likely destination than Boston. Just days from the draft, DraftExpress.com had the 18-year-old sliding all the way down to Denver at No. 7. Bender’s lack of playing time in Israel will cause any team drafting him to rely heavily on forecasting his potential, according to Derek Bodner of DraftExpress.

Looking at Bender as a prospect requires a fair amount of projection, not just because of his extreme youth and lack of playing time, but also because he’s just scratching the surface on many of his skills. Despite showing a high base on a diverse set of skills, it could be a couple of years before Bender turns that into consistent production at the NBA level.


The Highlights:




The Celtics’ historical comp: Bender is a unique player due to his size and ball skills, so the closest comparison you could find right now is probably a more athletic version of Kelly Olynyk. He can shoot and pass, like the Canadian seven-footer, but he’s got the foot speed to better handle quicker players on the perimeter and has bigger upside than Olynyk.

Bust potential: High. There’s risk with any lottery prospect, but Bender’s limited track record will force any team to do a heavy amount of projection on how his body and skills will translate. While the success story of Kristaps Porzingis is fresh in the mind of NBA fans, there are plenty of other highly touted European big men (Darko Milicic, Nikoloz Tskitishvili) who could never make the leap.


bob


.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2016/06/20/dragan-bender-not-kristaps-porzingis-but-better-draft-pick-than-marquese-chriss/86152446/





Dragan Bender not Kristaps Porzingis but better draft pick than Marquese Chriss?


Paul Coro, azcentral sports


8:57 a.m. MST June 21, 2016







(Photo: Getty Images)
There is nothing typical about deciding whether Croatia’s Dragan Bender or Washington’s Marquese Chriss would be the better choice Thursday night with the fourth pick if the Suns decide to go with a big man over more pro-ready guards.

This time, the European has the more polished game. This time, the collegian is the one with more upside.

Bender is a tall, lanky, versatile perimeter big man but otherwise is not much like Kristaps Porzingis, last year’s No. 5 pick-turned-Rookie of the Year runner-up. Chriss is the bouncy, eye-popping talent with shooting touch and ball-handling but his potential ranges from "bust" to "star" because his game remains raw.

NBA MOCK DRAFT TRACKER: Marquese Chriss to Suns at No. 4?

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The Suns strive for best player available but in a draft class in which Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram are widely accepted as the top two prospects, the next batch might be indecipherable enough to favor a Suns position of need – power forward – over a position of strength – guard – for the likes of Kentucky’s Jamal Murray, Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield or Providence’s Kris Dunn.

If the Suns were to take Bender, he would not figure to be ready to make an impact like Porzingis did for the Knicks. Porzingis had played a significant amount for a Spanish club. Bender’s skill set was harder to read because he rarely played for Maccabi Tel Aviv as the youngest player on a club that must lean on experienced pros.

RELATED: Win Suns/NBA draft party tickets

“He (Bender) doesn’t have the same athleticism (as Porzingis),” draft analyst Chad Ford said. “While he moves pretty well laterally, he’s not as explosive as Porzingis and he doesn’t really utilize his athleticism the same way Porzingis does and I think that’s a knock against Bender.

“On the upside, I think he’s a better shooter right now that Porzingis is. He shot over 40 percent from 3 (-point range) this year and he’s gotten very good at spotting up in the corners, which is what a lot of teams want their stretch 4s to do. He’s also a really good rim protector and a good rebounder. He really hustles out there.”

Ford said Bender fits what the Suns and Timberwolves, picking fifth, need and seek.

“I think he’s going to be a better defender than people think, but he’s not nearly the finished product right now that Porzingis was a year ago, and in that sense it’s unfair to compare them,” ESPN draft analyst Fran Fraschilla said.

“Bender is a terrific prospect, but he’s a different kind of player than Porzingis is.”

MOCK DRAFT: Paul Coro's second edition

NBA-TV analyst Stu Jackson said Bender has the skills of the NBA prototype frontcourt player with his 7-foot-1 frame and shooting and passing abilities.

“One thing I like about him is he has potential to be a good perimeter defender, particularly on smaller players over time,” Jackson said.

“His biggest issues will be the success of Kristaps Porzingis. Everyone will expect him to be Porzingis but I don’t think he’s anywhere near the development stage that Porzingis was coming in.”

Bender worked out for the Suns individually on Saturday, a day after Chriss did the same.


Chriss, a Sacramento-area native, was a one-and-done sensation after one season at Washington and five years of organized basketball.

Chriss' athleticism, running ability and rim attacks are enticing for a 6-foot-10, 233-pound player but he also was not a strong rebounder and fouled out of 15 of the Huskies’ 34 games with a nation-high 138 fouls.

“You look at a 6-10 player who is one of the best athletes that I’ve encountered in doing the draft the last 15 years,” Ford said. “At that size and both vertically and laterally as explosive as he is, he’s 18 years old. He shoots the 3. He can handle the ball a little bit. That’s really intriguing but I also say he has one of the lowest floors of the top picks in the draft.”

NBA DRAFT: Candidates for Suns with No. 4 pick

Ford mentioned immaturity and on-court emotional behavior as two of Chriss' detriments but Chriss displayed intelligence in draft interviews and his school studies.

Chriss, who turns 19 on July 2, averaged 13.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks in 24.9 minutes per game for Washington. He shot 53 percent from the field and made 21 of 60 3-point attempts (35 percent).

“If he doesn’t (mature), he’s going to make a team look foolish like Tyrus Thomas made the Bulls look bad several years ago (as the No. 4 pick in 2006),” Ford said. “I think that’s what teams are trying to weigh right now. How confident are we in his personality that he’s going to be able to become the star that he could be?”


bob


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http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics/2016/06/nba_draft_prospect_dragan_bender_has_tools_but_needs_room_to_grow



NBA draft prospect Dragan Bender has tools but needs room to grow


Steven Braid Tuesday, June 21, 2016




Credit: Getty Images
HIGH HOPES: Croatian player Dragan Bender is currently playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Israeli Basketball Premier League.


 
TEL AVIV, Israel — Every year, skilled foreign prospects enter the NBA draft, and every year, a cloud of mystery surrounds those players.

The questions usually start with a hint of curiosity. Who is he? How tall and quick is he? What kind of style does he play?

Then, usually, the questions start to exude skepticism and doubt: Is he really that good? Is he too soft to play in the NBA? Will he be able to make an impact? It’s a rite of passage as old as the draft itself.

Eighteen-year-old Dragan Bender is no different. Fair or unfair, the 7-foot-1 forward from Croatia, who is scheduled to participate in a workout with the Celtics today in Waltham, will almost assuredly deal with those same questions, come draft night.

Whichever team selects him on Thursday night is likely to get a bag of mixed reviews from its fan base. But fans quickly will learn that while those questions are fleeting, his potential is not.

“I’m not really sure I can compare him to anyone,” said Trevor Mbakwe, a Maccabi Tel Aviv teammate of Bender. “It’s not often you play against guys that are 7-foot, 7-foot-1, that can do the things that he can do. You can’t teach size and athleticism.”

Legit 7-footers with mobility and versatility are not easy to come by — not to mention ones that can, dribble, pass and shoot like a guard. Bender shot 40 percent on 3-pointers last season for Maccabi Tel Aviv.

The rest of his stat line, however, fails to impress. In 26 games, he averaged 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, just under one blocked shot and just over 13 minutes. The pundits will point to those numbers as an example of Bender’s hype exceeding his talent. It’s a bewilderment to some that a player considered to be one of the best talents to come out of Europe could barely get off the bench in a mid-level overseas league.

Considering Bender’s situation this year, those numbers aren’t actually that bad, though. Playing for what is historically one of the best teams in all of Europe, Bender got nudged to the end of the depth chart, playing behind skilled, seasoned veterans who were at least a decade older.

Making matters worse, Maccabi Tel Aviv had arguably its worst season in the history of the club, compounding the pressure and limiting the chances for growth opportunities for Bender. The team was in a “win-now” crisis for the majority of the season, and the coaching staff was not afforded the luxury to develop Bender and increase his playing time as the season wore on.

Nikola Vujcic is both Maccabi Tel Aviv team manager and mentor/coach to Bender, whom he has worked with since the NBA prospect was 12.

“Just the way the season turned out, it wasn’t a great opportunity for development,” Vujcic said. “Also, because of the amount of talent on the team, we didn’t need him to do much. He didn’t need to play down on the block because we had other bigs. He really wasn’t able to showcase his full potential.”

That potential is what NBA executives and scouts are banking on entering the draft. The youngest player entered in the draft has a lot of room to grow.

“Right now, he’s very skinny, but at 18, you expect him to fill out and put on more weight,” said Stuart Douglass, who played against Bender for Maccabi K/G. “You can see he’s talented, but the best thing about him is that he’s not a finished product by any means. He still has tons of room for growth and to be molded.”

Vujcic, understanding the hype that has surrounded Bender the past few years, has been careful to temper expectations.

“I hope that whoever drafts him, they understand the importance of patience and development,” Vujcic said. “He’s at least one or two years away from making a huge impact, and his success depends on his coaches and how they develop him. He’s only 18 and people have to realize that. But even still, he’s got all the tools.”


bob
MY NOTE:  The reason for the sudden flurry of stories about Bender is because his season in Israel is over and he is in the US working out for a few teams.  He worked out for Phoenix earlier this week and is in Boston working out for Danny and Brad TODAY.


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KO is a good solid player who has upside and is worth more than his contract. But I think Bender is an upgrade over Kelly. If Danny doesn't trade the pick I think he takes Bender and perhaps keeps him in Europe one more season. If not, I wouldn't be surprised if he takes Dunn, who I think is an upgrade over Rozier and could play behind IT for a season or until a trade. Who is going to show up? Trader, Gambling, or Patient Danny?

mulcogiseng wrote:KO is a good solid player who has upside and is worth more than his contract. But I think Bender is an upgrade over Kelly. If Danny doesn't trade the pick I think he takes Bender and perhaps keeps him in Europe one more season. If not, I wouldn't be surprised if he takes Dunn, who I think is an upgrade over Rozier and could play behind IT for a season or until a trade. Who is going to show up? Trader, Gambling, or Patient Danny?

Hi Mulcogi, How are you?

Who is your avatar?


bob


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http://www.si.com/nba/2016/06/21/dragan-bender-nba-draft-croatia-maccabi-tel-aviv



Who is Dragan Bender?


He's a 7'1'' teenager with guard skills and is a projected top 5 pick, but Dragan Bender still remains largely shrouded in mystery. Get to know the 2016 NBA Draft's most intriguing prospect.


BY LUKE WINN


Posted: Tue Jun. 21, 2016



On May 17, the evening the NBA draft lottery is held in New York City, two giant brothers are at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport, waiting for two parents and two suitcases to come off a flight from Zagreb, Croatia. The brothers have obtained special permission to pass through security in order to help their parents, who speak neither Hebrew nor English, navigate the airport. But the brothers are also deeply interested in taking possession of the aforementioned suitcases. "It's like we're waiting," the older one says, "for some money or some treasure."

The younger brother is Dragan Bender, an 18-year-old, 7'1" stretch power forward playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv and the top European prospect in the June 23 draft. The older brother is Ivan Bender, a 20-year-old, 6'9" forward on summer break after his redshirt freshman season at Maryland. The suitcases are normal in appearance, black and green, but they hold cargo that isn't exactly common in Israel: a not insignificant quantity of tasty pork products, vacuum-sealed in clear plastic. Bacon, ham and pršut​, the Dalmatian coast's version of prosciutto, all from the Benders' home-and-backyard meat-curing operation in Čapljina​, a town of 28,000 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, just across the Croatian border.

"Natural weight-gainer," is what Dragan calls the pork. In his quest to add bulk to his 225-pound frame, this is preferable to the super-sized bag of Serious Mass powder on the kitchen counter of his two-bedroom Tel Aviv apartment. Upon arriving there from the airport, the brothers fill Dragan's fridge with meat. Their father, Rafo, works for Croatian Railways as an engineer, and their mother, Bernada is retired; their chief family traditions are growing their own vegetables, baking their own bread, curing their own meat and, as Dragan puts it, "respecting the meaning of those things." This pocket of family time, one month before the draft, before Dragan and some NBA team split a $1.3 million buyout of his Maccabi contract to bring him Stateside, is keeping Čapljina on the Bender boys' minds.



Photo: Thomas Coex/AFP/Getty Images
​
Two days later, Dragan drives his white Nissan Qashqai with the LEASE4U door decal home after a workout at Maccabi's arena. The Tel Aviv skyline unfurls to his left—Miami-style condo towers, old-world concrete low rises, the gaps in the buildings providing split-second reveals of the Mediterranean Sea's noontime shimmer—and Ivan is in the passenger seat, explaining a pork-curing process that has been passed down through generations.

It begins in late November when the weather turns cool enough. The Benders make a trip to the local pig farm, where Rafo and his brother pick out two or three hogs. "In my opinion the best pig is which one is heavier, around 200 or 250 pounds," Ivan says, in the English he's refining at Maryland. "You'll get better bacon from that." The pigs are killed and bled out at the farm, then taken to the Benders' basement for butchering.

Dragan and Ivan were last present for this when they were 11 and 13—the year before they were discovered as prospects and left home for Split to begin training at the basketball academy of Croatian star Nikola Vujčić. They would be enlisted to help fill hams. "We [would] challenge each other," Ivan says, "like who is gonna make the best one without cutting off or breaking a piece." They would later sea-salt the cuts of meat; dry it in the northeasterly wind called the bura, and cold-smoke it in the smokehouse in their backyard.

The true delicacy requires the most patience. "The best pršut is over one year," Ivan explains, "and when someone says, 'Do you want to try our pršut that's two years old?' you know that it is [ready] to be tasted."


Photo: Luke Askelson/SI
​
*****

In the bizarro meat market that is the NBA draft, teams are unwilling to wait for pršut that has sufficiently aged; instead, they speculate on fresh cuts—and Dragan, at 18 years and seven months, is the youngest of the projected lottery picks. A workout like the one two days after the lottery, with Dragan and Ivan training at Maccabi's Menora Mivtachim Arena with Mladen Sestan, the 57-year-old Croatian skills guru who discovered them, and has followed Dragan to Israel, is a vital stop on the draft-reporting circuit because game-scouting opportunities have been so limited.

Bender averaged just 12.9 minutes for Maccabi this season (and 10.5 minutes in Euroleague play), making just three starts. He also missed last summer's FIBA U19 World Championships due to a regrettable stalemate between his shoe sponsor, Adidas, and the sponsor of the Croatian national program, Jordan Brand, which refused to let him play in non-Jordan footwear.


The understandable predraft question hanging over Bender, then, is how someone who can't crack a starting lineup of an Israeli Super League team, and who hasn't appeared in a major international competition since 2014, can be a serious candidate for a top six selection in the NBA draft. The answer begins with what's evident on the court: Bender is 7'1" with a 7'2" wingspan and can gracefully move on the perimeter as a pick-and-pop guy, a ballhandler and a sliding defender; he has a competent (but not deadeye) three-point shot; and he has an advanced feel around the basket, despite lacking the bulk to do damage in the NBA paint. While not a spectacular athlete, he is a smooth one, and he has the potential to be the kind of New Age big man that the league currently covets. There is no other 7-footer like him in this draft.

​
Furthermore: Those who were present for Bender's breakout in the summer of 2014 in the remote location of Konya, Turkey—I was the lone member there from the U.S. media—saw him in a role that suggested he was Europe's most interesting young playmaking giant. Bender was 6'11" then, a 16-year-old playing for Croatia against opponents one or two years older in the U18 Europe A-Division championships. He grabbed rebounds and threw long, baseball-style outlet passes that dropped into the hands of streaking guards. He handled the ball against full-court pressure and in pick-and-roll situations; he passed to cutters from the high post; he had impressive shot-blocking instincts that compensated (somewhat) for his lack of bulk. He was one rebound short of a triple double against Greece and one assist shy against Latvia. He had 34 points and 14 boards against a Lithuania team with 6'10" Domantas Sabonis, a potential top 20 pick in this draft out of Gonzaga, and afterward Bender carried Croatia's water bottles to its bus, because that was his duty as its youngest player.

If you believe Bender is still capable of that stuff, that it's just been muted in a sub-optimal situation—on a struggling, grown-man-stocked Euroleague team that was under so much pressure to win that its coach couldn't allocate minutes to a kid, much less experiment with him as a playmaker—then you have faith that it can resurface in the right situation in the NBA. This is a conviction shared by Vujčić, who starred for Maccabi in the 2000s, founded his Croatian academy in '05, and then returned to Maccabi as a front-office employee in '13, bringing Bender with him by signing the kid to a seven-year contract.



"[There are] two types of Dragan," Vujčić says. "One that is before he came to Maccabi, and then one at Maccabi.... Maccabi is not an easy environment for somebody like a kid. Because here only what [matters] is the result. We want to win tomorrow's game, not what will be in three months, especially not what could be in the future.... So I believe Dragan will [eventually] get the freedom and people will not limit him to do his stuff. He's going to be unbelievable. Because even now you see some practices, and workouts, [that] this is the deal."

The brothers' workout at Menora Mivtachim Arena has three nonjournalistic spectators: Vujčić; Bender's father; and Maurizio Balducci, Bender's Italian agent. Balducci is wearing a Lakers T-shirt, and though Los Angeles has the No. 2 pick, he says not to read into it: "I cover myself in glue, jump into the wardrobe and see whatever sticks."

Sestan is having the Benders post up against each other, receive entry passes and execute baby hooks. "If you are not asking for the ball, I will hit you in the head with it," Sestan says in Croatian. "But if you ask, I will be patient."

​
The plan, pending the approval of whoever drafts Dragan, is to have Sestan move with him to the U.S., live nearby and act as his skills coach, making what he calls "small corrections" after practices and games. He supervised a complete overhaul of Bender's shot in Tel Aviv, and Bender made 36% of his three-pointers this season, up from 26.9% last year with Ramat Gan in the Israeli second division. As the brothers do shooting drills here, Rafo takes photos of his sons on his Android phone, smiling: It is the first time they've trained together since 2013, the year Ivan suffered the first of two ACL injuries that stalled his own promising career just as his younger brother began to flourish.

Dragan's threes start to go in from the corner, and Balducci makes PING! noises as they fall. "The flamingo is flying," he says, happily. When the brothers collectively go cold for a stretch, Vujčić heckles them good-naturedly in Croatian. "Every time they laugh at us," Sestan shouts to the boys, "it makes us stronger!"

A group of Americans enters the gym. They've traveled from Philadelphia, and they take seats on the opposite baseline. "This court is the holiest place in Israel other than the wall in Jerusalem," one of them says to the group. A cohort introduces him as "a scout for the Sixers," and then, as an explanation for why they both give off more of a rabbinical vibe, adds, "He's undercover right now."

A few of the children in their group begin yelling over to Dragan, "Bender! Bender! Go to the Sixers!" The men acknowledge that they are, in fact, rabbis, on a trip with students from Abrams Hebrew Academy in Yardley, Pa. One of the rabbis, Ira Budow, a big Maccabi fan, is asked if he would advise the 76ers to draft Bender. "Nah," he says. "I've seen him play this year. Bender's good ... but he's not that good."


This is no outlier stance among Maccabi fans, who have soured on pretty much everything this season after failing to reach the Euroleague's final 16 for the first time in 22 years. During the opening game of the Israeli playoffs later that night, roughly 95% of the section allocated to the Ultras 96, Maccabi's die-hard fan group, is empty due to a boycott over a proposed increase in ticket prices for next season.

Among the few Ultras 96ers present is their de facto leader, Ilan Cerf, a 63-year-old who's nicknamed the Fox and has a left-shoulder tattoo that combines said animal with the Maccabi logo. His friend, Amit Shalev, translates thoughts on Bender into English. "The Fox says that Bender has good virtue," says Shalev, explaining that he takes time to thank fans, even after a blowout loss to a rival. "But he is not a good player in this league. The Fox asks why is the NBA interested in Bender now? What does a scout see that we the fans cannot see?"

They're told that the NBA loves big men who can shoot and act as secondary playmakers. The Ultras peer down at Bender, who's seated behind the bench in a blue, long-sleeve Maccabi zip-up, was left inactive during the playoffs in favor of forwards in their late 20s and early 30s.

"O.K.," says Shalev. "But right now, it looks like imagination."

***

Dragan Bender is sitting on the couch in the living room of his apartment, which seems more like a real adult's place than an 18-year-old's—it's on the second floor of a high-rise in a tony neighborhood, it's clean, there are snacks in little dishes on the coffee table, there's a stack of English-language books on a side table that he's actually read (Twelve Years a Slave) or plans to read (The Art of Fielding)—and he's explaining why he prefers decades-old Croatian music. "Back in the day, I think songs were really meaningful," he says. "Today is just, Sell the song and make some money. Decades ago it was about some of the things that happen in your life and some of the things that bother you.... I just love the songs about some situation in life and how to resolve those situations."

He only has a few games left in a season that has been humbling. He is heading to the NBA, and he is not necessarily ready. It is equally fortunate and unfortunate that NBA fans have no trouble imagining a wiry Euro 7-footer taking the league by storm, because 7'3" Kristaps Porzingis of Latvia became the most buzzworthy athlete in New York this season as a 20-year-old rookie. Bender is, in the eyes of multiple NBA scouts, more advanced than Porzingis at the same age, but the fact that Bender will debut at 18 will limit his immediate impact. And casting him as a Porzingis clone is a mistake. Porzingis is a pure-shooting, hip-hop-loving giant, while Bender is a playmaking cog whose primary hoops influence is even older than his music: Croatian legend Toni Kukoc.

​
"I modeled my game after him," Bender says of the 6'10" lefty who debuted in the NBA with the Bulls in 1993, four years before Bender was born. A young Bender found VHS tapes of Kukoc at the Vujčić academy lodgings, and as Bender studied them, it made more sense why his youth coaches were challenging him to function as an oversized point guard. He was captivated by the style of Kukoc, a positionless creator who valued passing over scoring. Bender wore Kukoc's number 7 as recently as the 2014–15 season, when he was on loan to Ramat Gan.

Bender cannot, however, mimic the career time line of Kukoc, who had eight seasons of European stardom and two Olympic silver medals behind him when he arrived in the NBA, not to mention multiple nicknames: the Spider of Split, Pink Panther, Croatian Sensation. He was a 25-year-old rookie, ready to be tasted.

"Now is a different time for a young guy," Bender says, explaining that an NBA team might be a more preferable development situation for a teenager than an impatient Euroleague club. The sound of Dragan Bender is so exotic and menacing that he may have no need for nicknames in the U.S., but the one he's had since his Split days is Roda. It's Croatian for stork, a soaring, gliding bird that in this case—draft stock peaking, age be damned—has no better choice than to ride the westward currents.



bob


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Kyle Draper
@KyleDraperTV 3 minutes ago
The #Celtics worked out Dragan Bender Tuesday. FWIW I'm told he looked good during workouts. Less than 48 hrs away from #NBADraft night.

Reply Retweet Like


bob


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Hey Bob, I'm fine and surviving the early heat this year. The foto is me running a 5K last Patriot's Day in Tucson. I've done a few half marathons but not sure I can make a full one but I ain't dead yet. lol Do like the shorter distances and the comradarie of the runners. If a race is near a holiday I tend to carry a Flag. Memorial Day I did 9.5 miles carrying the POW/MIA flag and for Flag Day it was the 15 star/15 stripe, Ft McHenry, Star Spangled Banner. for 5.5 miles Hope all is well with you

IF you can believe any of what you see and read about the upcoming draft, it sounds like Bender is in a state of free-fall.  The usual talking head programs on ESPN and NBA network saying Bender looked universally bad in workouts.  Everything from being unathletic to a poor shooter.  The always informed but "unidentified sources speaking on condition of anonymity" say it looks like he's on his way to dropping right out of the lottery with no chance at all of going any higher than 13 at best.

Can they make up their minds?  I didn't think he was a terribly good bet from what little is known, but this range from 3rd pick to somewhere down the road is a bit much.

Happily, I'll be in the dugout managing a playoff game on draft night.  I can get the results later, and have already forbidden my son and other players from checking phones for picks during the game.