Dragon Bender Don't believe The Hype

arambone wrote:That Bender stat of 13 points comes from his per 36 minutes stat, or rather, his per 3 games scoring average, lol.

Rarely is being a white Euro prospect an advantage, but it sure is when you're 7'1" and coming out the year after Porzingis.

bone

Never hurts to be the next Porzingis especially when the hype includes a qualifying statement like....he's further along than Porzingis...Bender could very well turn out to be a terrific player but the same can be said about Thon Maker. I really like the kid Maker. I sure hope that 3 years down the round we do not find ourselves in a state of lamenting what could have been."we coulda got him at 23"

I mentioned before that taking a flyer on Maker makes sense. We got enough draft picks to use one on a player of that size that happens to have guard skills.

dboss

In fairness to European players though it is less about not knowing how to play basketball and usually more about being thin, soft and unhappy with the physicality of the NBA game and culture of whatever team and new city they are living in that results in them underachieving. 

Most Euro's have high bball IQ's, respect for the game and are fundamentally sound. The stereotypical 'doesn't know the game' player is a US city kid who has been told he's the next Kobe or LeBron since age 8, gets involved in the AAU/travel team business early, cares more about dunking and one on one moves than ball-handling, shooting and defense and doesn't put in the effort in the classroom. 

Saw enough of those types in the two decades between the Fab Five era of like 1991-92 and the pre GSW era of 3-4 years ago when the Heat were winning back to back and KoME was still relevant. I hope the way the NBA is trending these days with shooting and defense being at a premium changes the way the youth in the country approaches the sport in a positive way.

Dboss, I bet Bender knows how to play, given his tutor. However, I question his physical skills compared to what he'll be up against in the NBA over a grueling 82 game schedule. At least college player prospects get to play significant minutes over about 32 games, and we get to see how they hold up over that span. Someone who plays 4 or 5 or ten minutes a game is simply not under the kind of physical or mental stress any starting college athlete endures, much less an NBA starter. It's like making a stock pick after only 1/4 of earnings, ever.

dboss wrote:

arambone wrote:That Bender stat of 13 points comes from his per 36 minutes stat, or rather, his per 3 games scoring average, lol.

Rarely is being a white Euro prospect an advantage, but it sure is when you're 7'1" and coming out the year after Porzingis.

bone

Never hurts to be the next Porzingis especially when the hype includes a qualifying statement like....he's further along than Porzingis...Bender could very well turn out to be a terrific player but the same can be said about Thon Maker.  I really like the kid Maker.  I sure hope that 3 years down the round we do not find ourselves in a state of lamenting what could have been."we coulda got him at 23"

I mentioned before that taking a flyer on Maker makes sense.  We got enough draft picks to use one on a player of that size that happens to have guard skills.

dboss

Being "further along than Porzingis" doesn't mean shit if the kid doesn't have near Porzingis' height, wingspan, or standing reach. Not to mention even in this article they admit that Porzingis is a better athlete. Not to mention Porzingis has a tougher mentality.


What makes Porzingis great is his length, athleticism, and intangibles/work ethic/toughness.

Bender has none of those, other than being a nice, intelligent kid.

So what does being "further along than Porzingis" have to do with anything?

Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

Funny, arambone, I usually see leprechauns late into the evening on St. Patty's Day.

It must be Chinese New Year with all this Dragan worshipping

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ,

It would MOST helpful if you could post those video or, at least the links to them, here.  Part of the problem we are struggling with here, it seems to me, is our lack of exposure.  Some of us have watched Hield for years but not Bender and so there is a FUD factor here.


bob


.

tj wrote:
I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ, since you are so impressed with Bender, how about convincing Mitch and Jimmy B. that he should be the pick at 2. Celtic nation will reluctantly get behind an Ingram/Simmons consolation prize. 

arambone wrote:

dboss wrote:

arambone wrote:That Bender stat of 13 points comes from his per 36 minutes stat, or rather, his per 3 games scoring average, lol.

Rarely is being a white Euro prospect an advantage, but it sure is when you're 7'1" and coming out the year after Porzingis.

bone

Never hurts to be the next Porzingis especially when the hype includes a qualifying statement like....he's further along than Porzingis...Bender could very well turn out to be a terrific player but the same can be said about Thon Maker.  I really like the kid Maker.  I sure hope that 3 years down the round we do not find ourselves in a state of lamenting what could have been."we coulda got him at 23"

I mentioned before that taking a flyer on Maker makes sense.  We got enough draft picks to use one on a player of that size that happens to have guard skills.

dboss

Being "further along than Porzingis" doesn't mean shit if the kid doesn't have near Porzingis' height, wingspan, or standing reach. Not to mention even in this article they admit that Porzingis is a better athlete. Not to mention Porzingis has a tougher mentality.


What makes Porzingis great is his length, athleticism, and intangibles/work ethic/toughness.

Bender has none of those, other than being a nice, intelligent kid.

So what does being "further along than Porzingis" have to do with anything?

Well I agree. It was something that I read.

dboss

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ,

It would MOST helpful if you could post those video or, at least the links to them, here.  Part of the problem we are struggling with here, it seems to me, is our lack of exposure.  Some of us have watched Hield for years but not Bender and so there is a FUD factor here.


bob


.

Yeah post the videos. I love funny home videos. The only lengthy video I saw of bender was that amazing 43 point game he had against
Toddlers Academy.

dboss

TJ, yes, please encourage the Lakers to draft Dragan, although imagine if OKC had him. I can see the posters now: "Go Fragan Dragan." Then a fracking prompted quake takes out the city.

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ,

It would MOST helpful if you could post those video or, at least the links to them, here.  Part of the problem we are struggling with here, it seems to me, is our lack of exposure.  Some of us have watched Hield for years but not Bender and so there is a FUD factor here.


bob


.

I will post the videos later tonight that I watched a week or two ago.

I just read an interesting article on ESPN Insider.
Since not all have the Insider, I am posting the article below.



Should Dragan Bender be the No. 3 pick for the Boston Celtics? Or should the Los Angeles Lakers take him at No. 2, ahead of Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram?



ESPN Insiders Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton provide the kind of discussion happening in front offices around the NBA, where scouts and statistical experts are breaking down NBA prospects using their "eyes, ears and numbers."

Today the focus is Bender, who might be one of the two best prospects in the 2016 NBA draft.

What are Dragan Bender's strengths?

Kevin Pelton: Chad, there's one top-10 prospect we've yet to discuss this season: Croatian forward Dragan Bender, who is currently fifth on your big board.

With the conclusion of the regular season in the Israel BSL, I used the ratio of performances by players like Bender who played both in Israel and either the Euroleague or EuroCup international competitions to translate Bender's Maccabi Tel Aviv stats to their NBA equivalents.

With projections for Bender in the NBA in hand, it's time to consider where he belongs among this year's top draft picks. What do scouts see as his strengths?

Chad Ford: He's (theoretically) a perfect big man in modern NBA offenses and defenses.

Offensively, Bender can stretch the floor (he shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range in Israel during the regular season), has above-average court vision and can finish at the rim. If you're a triple-threat 7-footer who can pass, shoot or drive, there's a place for you in the NBA.

Defensively, Bender is even better right now -- a versatile 7-footer who can guard multiple positions both on the perimeter and in the paint. He has the physical tools, the basketball skills and the relentless motor to be a Swiss Army knife in the NBA.

Pelton: Beyond the shooting, the versatility you mention stands out in Bender's translated statistics. As compared to power forwards in the draft, he rates as above average in assist, steal and block rates. In fact, his block percentage ranked fourth in the BSL, and two of the players ahead of him (Hamady N'Diaye and Mickell Gladness) are centers who previously played in the NBA.

In addition to that, it's important to mention Bender's age as a strength. He managed to hold his own in a competitive Israeli league despite starting the season at age 17. He's the youngest player among your top 100 draft prospects.

What are Bender's weaknesses?

Pelton: All right, where do the scouts see Bender needing more development?

Ford: Experience, piggybacking off what you mentioned with his age. Bender has gotten limited playing time this year for Maccabi. He's averaging 12 minutes per game, but his role is quite limited, especially offensively.

Bender's lack of significant development on the court over the past 18 months (he sat out last summer's FIBA Under-19 world championships because of a shoe dispute) makes him a bit of a wild card. With Kristaps Porzingis, scouts got to see him play a big role in the best league in Europe before drafting him. Bender is more theory than practice right now.

He also needs to get stronger. He's tough and plays really hard, but he'll get pushed around at first in the NBA.


Pelton: That lack of strength shows up a couple of places in Bender's statistics. His foul rate is astronomical -- nearly seven per 36 minutes. And though Bender has been pretty good on the offensive glass, his translated defensive rebound percentage would be poor for a small forward, let alone a 7-foot-1 big man.

You're also right about Bender's small role. He's used on 16.9 percent of Maccabi's plays, which translates to a tiny usage rate in the NBA. Lastly, in part because Bender was spacing the floor, he rarely got to the free throw line.

How does Bender compare to Porzingis?

Pelton: Given the success the aforementioned Porzingis enjoyed as a rookie, and their physical similarity, comparisons between the two players are inevitable. How does Bender compare as a draft prospect? And if not Porzingis, who might be a good comparison for Bender?

Ford: It's a sexy comparison. They're both 7-footers with great motors and versatile skill sets.

But there are differences. Porzingis is a better athlete and shot-blocker and came with much more experience. Bender is arguably a more versatile defender, better shooter and better passer. Most of the international scouts I've spoken with think Porzingis is a better prospect -- though Bender has his fans.

Bender loves a Toni Kukoc comp. That's his hero. But he's not as skilled offensively.

I'm not sure he has an ideal comp. Perhaps the closest I can come is a much bigger Draymond Green. Same versatility on both ends. Similar motor and athleticism. Just a lot taller and skinnier.

Pelton: Agreed on all counts regarding Bender and Porzingis. They're different players.

Bender has broader perimeter skills. We didn't see his playmaking much for Maccabi, given his limited role, but Bender's performance for Croatia in the 2014 FIBA U-18 European Championships is instructive. He averaged 4.9 assists, third among all players.

Because Porzingis was a year further along in his development, it's tough to compare the two players at the point they were drafted. But if we compare Bender to Porzingis in 2014, when Porzingis was the same age, the comparison is more reasonable -- and favorable to Bender.

His translated NBA winning percentage (the per-minute component of my wins above replacement player metric, or WARP) is .444. During 2013-14, Porzingis had a translated .389 winning percentage in the Spanish ACB. (He improved to .461 in 2014-15.)

As a result, Bender performs slightly better in my WARP projections, which factor in age and projected NBA performance. His 3.4 WARP projection is tied with Clint Capela for the best from a prospect in Europe since Ricky Rubio in 2009 (3.7), just ahead of Jusuf Nurkic (3.3), Porzingis (3.2) and Nikola Jokic (3.1).

My SCHOENE projection system has an equally difficult time finding a comp for Bender. Comparing him to NCAA prospects, no player has a similarity score of better than 90 at the same age -- which means there are no easy statistical comps.
Where does Bender rank?




Pelton: All right, so factoring that all in, where do scouts have Bender on draft boards? Has he dropped after getting buzz as a possible No. 1 pick last fall?

Ford: Most view him as an elite prospect in the three to six range. A handful have him slightly lower, in the seven to 10 range.

I'm not sure he's "slipped" all that much. It's more that both Jamal Murray and Kris Dunn made their case to be top-5 picks. Guards are in vogue, and Bender's lack of experience makes him a bigger gamble.

Nevertheless, I'm projecting Bender to go No. 4 to the Suns. Given their needs in the wake of the Markieff Morris trade, I think he's a great fit.


Pelton: I think there's a case to be made that even No. 4 is too low for Bender.

Factoring in his ranking on your big board, Bender's consensus projection is for 3.5 WARP -- second in this year's draft behind Ben Simmons. Nobody else is above 3.0, with Brandon Ingram at 2.9. Murray (2.6) and Dunn (2.3) are far below Bender.

While Bender is unlikely to help quite as much right away as the guards, particularly the 22-year-old Dunn, if teams are patient I think he's got a much better chance of becoming a star.

Based on Bender's projections, not only should the Boston Celtics be strongly considering him with the No. 3 pick, he also deserves consideration from the L.A. Lakers at No. 2.

willjr wrote:

tj wrote:
I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ, since you are so impressed with Bender, how about convincing Mitch and Jimmy B. that he should be the pick at 2. Celtic nation will reluctantly get behind an Ingram/Simmons consolation prize. 

That's pretty funny!
Barring something unforeseen happening, Simmons or Ingram will be drafted by the Lakers.
Bender could be very special, but does Boston want a player who will make an immediate impact, like Buddy Hield?
Unfortunately the guard position is Boston's strongest position.
Phoenix doesn't need a guard, I would expect them to take Bender at #4 if Boston doesn't choose him.
Then Phoenix can draft a SF with the #13 pick.

TJ, while I am not about to knock anybody I've got to admit that no one outside of the top 2 players really impress me. Obviously some of them will be good, possibly great players, my preference is to trade the pick.

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

When did Bender ever show himself to be a half-crazy hyper-competitive ball of energy? Bender admits HIMSELF he plays not to get hurt because his older brother had his career derailed by a bad knee injury.

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

Like I said, Draft Express stated they see a Mighty Dragan, and everybody else is convincing themselves that they too see a Mighty Dragan. In fact, now the Mighty Dragon that Chad Ford sees is even Mightier than the Dragan DX saw first.

Next, A Sherrod Blakely will insist that the Dragan is Mightier than Ford or DX ever realized, because ASBlakely saw it with his OWN EYES (no link to video).

Ford: Most view him as an elite prospect in the three to six range. A handful have him slightly lower, in the seven to 10 range.

Pelton: I think there's a case to be made that even No. 4 is too low for Bender.

(Blakely: I think there's a case that even #1 is too low for him)

This reminds me of the Tulip Craze in Holland. So much hype based on so little evidence.

tjmakz wrote:

bobheckler wrote:

tjmakz wrote:

arambone wrote:Chad Ford is just making s#@t up when he says Bender plays with Draymond Green's motor.


This whole thing reminds me of when I was in the 3rd grade, and on St Patrick's day I told everybody at recess that I saw a Leprechaun at my house that morning. Within 10 minutes 5 other kids told me that they too saw a leprechaun that morning.

I believed every one of them, and thought I was the only one lying.

Now everybody swears they see a Mighty Dragan, and think they're the only one pretending to see what they say they see.

I thought it was just draftexpress who was making stuff up about Bender.
Now, Chad Ford is making this up?
Maybe what others are saying is true.
In the videos I have watched of Bender, I am very impressed!

TJ,

It would MOST helpful if you could post those video or, at least the links to them, here.  Part of the problem we are struggling with here, it seems to me, is our lack of exposure.  Some of us have watched Hield for years but not Bender and so there is a FUD factor here.


bob


.

I will post the videos later tonight that I watched a week or two ago.

I just read an interesting article on ESPN Insider.
Since not all have the Insider, I am posting the article below.



Should Dragan Bender be the No. 3 pick for the Boston Celtics? Or should the Los Angeles Lakers take him at No. 2, ahead of Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram?



ESPN Insiders Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton provide the kind of discussion happening in front offices around the NBA, where scouts and statistical experts are breaking down NBA prospects using their "eyes, ears and numbers."

Today the focus is Bender, who might be one of the two best prospects in the 2016 NBA draft.

What are Dragan Bender's strengths?

Kevin Pelton: Chad, there's one top-10 prospect we've yet to discuss this season: Croatian forward Dragan Bender, who is currently fifth on your big board.

With the conclusion of the regular season in the Israel BSL, I used the ratio of performances by players like Bender who played both in Israel and either the Euroleague or EuroCup international competitions to translate Bender's Maccabi Tel Aviv stats to their NBA equivalents.

With projections for Bender in the NBA in hand, it's time to consider where he belongs among this year's top draft picks. What do scouts see as his strengths?

Chad Ford: He's (theoretically) a perfect big man in modern NBA offenses and defenses.

Offensively, Bender can stretch the floor (he shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range in Israel during the regular season), has above-average court vision and can finish at the rim. If you're a triple-threat 7-footer who can pass, shoot or drive, there's a place for you in the NBA.

Defensively, Bender is even better right now -- a versatile 7-footer who can guard multiple positions both on the perimeter and in the paint. He has the physical tools, the basketball skills and the relentless motor to be a Swiss Army knife in the NBA.

Pelton: Beyond the shooting, the versatility you mention stands out in Bender's translated statistics. As compared to power forwards in the draft, he rates as above average in assist, steal and block rates. In fact, his block percentage ranked fourth in the BSL, and two of the players ahead of him (Hamady N'Diaye and Mickell Gladness) are centers who previously played in the NBA.

In addition to that, it's important to mention Bender's age as a strength. He managed to hold his own in a competitive Israeli league despite starting the season at age 17. He's the youngest player among your top 100 draft prospects.

What are Bender's weaknesses?

Pelton: All right, where do the scouts see Bender needing more development?

Ford: Experience, piggybacking off what you mentioned with his age. Bender has gotten limited playing time this year for Maccabi. He's averaging 12 minutes per game, but his role is quite limited, especially offensively.

Bender's lack of significant development on the court over the past 18 months (he sat out last summer's FIBA Under-19 world championships because of a shoe dispute) makes him a bit of a wild card. With Kristaps Porzingis, scouts got to see him play a big role in the best league in Europe before drafting him. Bender is more theory than practice right now.

He also needs to get stronger. He's tough and plays really hard, but he'll get pushed around at first in the NBA.


Pelton: That lack of strength shows up a couple of places in Bender's statistics. His foul rate is astronomical -- nearly seven per 36 minutes. And though Bender has been pretty good on the offensive glass, his translated defensive rebound percentage would be poor for a small forward, let alone a 7-foot-1 big man.

You're also right about Bender's small role. He's used on 16.9 percent of Maccabi's plays, which translates to a tiny usage rate in the NBA. Lastly, in part because Bender was spacing the floor, he rarely got to the free throw line.

How does Bender compare to Porzingis?

Pelton: Given the success the aforementioned Porzingis enjoyed as a rookie, and their physical similarity, comparisons between the two players are inevitable. How does Bender compare as a draft prospect? And if not Porzingis, who might be a good comparison for Bender?

Ford: It's a sexy comparison. They're both 7-footers with great motors and versatile skill sets.

But there are differences. Porzingis is a better athlete and shot-blocker and came with much more experience. Bender is arguably a more versatile defender, better shooter and better passer. Most of the international scouts I've spoken with think Porzingis is a better prospect -- though Bender has his fans.

Bender loves a Toni Kukoc comp. That's his hero. But he's not as skilled offensively.

I'm not sure he has an ideal comp. Perhaps the closest I can come is a much bigger Draymond Green. Same versatility on both ends. Similar motor and athleticism. Just a lot taller and skinnier.

Pelton: Agreed on all counts regarding Bender and Porzingis. They're different players.

Bender has broader perimeter skills. We didn't see his playmaking much for Maccabi, given his limited role, but Bender's performance for Croatia in the 2014 FIBA U-18 European Championships is instructive. He averaged 4.9 assists, third among all players.

Because Porzingis was a year further along in his development, it's tough to compare the two players at the point they were drafted. But if we compare Bender to Porzingis in 2014, when Porzingis was the same age, the comparison is more reasonable -- and favorable to Bender.

His translated NBA winning percentage (the per-minute component of my wins above replacement player metric, or WARP) is .444. During 2013-14, Porzingis had a translated .389 winning percentage in the Spanish ACB. (He improved to .461 in 2014-15.)

As a result, Bender performs slightly better in my WARP projections, which factor in age and projected NBA performance. His 3.4 WARP projection is tied with Clint Capela for the best from a prospect in Europe since Ricky Rubio in 2009 (3.7), just ahead of Jusuf Nurkic (3.3), Porzingis (3.2) and Nikola Jokic (3.1).

My SCHOENE projection system has an equally difficult time finding a comp for Bender. Comparing him to NCAA prospects, no player has a similarity score of better than 90 at the same age -- which means there are no easy statistical comps.
Where does Bender rank?




Pelton: All right, so factoring that all in, where do scouts have Bender on draft boards? Has he dropped after getting buzz as a possible No. 1 pick last fall?

Ford: Most view him as an elite prospect in the three to six range. A handful have him slightly lower, in the seven to 10 range.

I'm not sure he's "slipped" all that much. It's more that both Jamal Murray and Kris Dunn made their case to be top-5 picks. Guards are in vogue, and Bender's lack of experience makes him a bigger gamble.

Nevertheless, I'm projecting Bender to go No. 4 to the Suns. Given their needs in the wake of the Markieff Morris trade, I think he's a great fit.


Pelton: I think there's a case to be made that even No. 4 is too low for Bender.

Factoring in his ranking on your big board, Bender's consensus projection is for 3.5 WARP -- second in this year's draft behind Ben Simmons. Nobody else is above 3.0, with Brandon Ingram at 2.9. Murray (2.6) and Dunn (2.3) are far below Bender.

While Bender is unlikely to help quite as much right away as the guards, particularly the 22-year-old Dunn, if teams are patient I think he's got a much better chance of becoming a star.

Based on Bender's projections, not only should the Boston Celtics be strongly considering him with the No. 3 pick, he also deserves consideration from the L.A. Lakers at No. 2.

bump


.

The guys who sound really positive on Bender seem to be treating this like a baseball prospect rather than NBA. On a baseball team, a newly drafted prospect doesn't take up a roster spot, and is expected to be assigned to a league with other players of his age and skill level to develop. In the NBA, a player needs to be able to step right in and play on the major league team. Being sent to the D-league isn't really a part of the NBA culture at this point, and still takes up a roster spot. Having an 18 year old kid who has played limited minutes in the Euro league come and get pushed all over the court by grown men in the NBA isn't going to do much for his confidence or development. He's not going to win minutes on a good team like Boston, and would be better off going to a team like Philly or Phoenix where he can get playing time on a bad team. Boston needs someone who can step in and help them get to the next level now, not three years from now. Likewise, LA is going to look to get back into contention quickly in the free agent market and would probably rather bring in an NBA-ready talent than a project.

Here's some new information about Bender.
It looks like he's not playing much because of the quirky Israel league rules.


Dragan Bender has a 1.3 million dollar buyout in his contract with Maccabi Tel Aviv, a league source informed DraftExpress.

The figure is relatively small for an international player of his stature and should pose no obstacles to him joining the NBA team that drafts him June 23.

The agreement in the seven-year contract Bender signed with Maccabi Tel Aviv in 2014 has a clause that allows him to opt out and sign with an NBA franchise by paying a buyout that's twice the permitted amount an NBA team can provide, according to the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.

An NBA team can contribute up to $650,000 to an international buyout for a player picked in the first round. The remaining $650,000 will be paid by Bender in a second installment at a later, undisclosed date and will come out of his rookie scale contract.

Bender is expected to be picked somewhere in the 3-7 range in the upcoming draft. His season will likely be over by June 9 at the latest if his team advances to the Israeli League finals. Bender should be able to arrive in time to conduct workouts with a number of franchises, as well as have a medical examination done on US soil. He is expected to attend the NBA Draft in Brooklyn on June 23rd.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is currently competing in the Israeli league playoff quarterfinals, where they hold a 1-0 lead in the best of five series.

Israeli league rules state that at least three spots in every team's 12-man roster must be comprised of two domestic players under the age of 22 and one under 25, which has kept the Croatian-born Bender (designated as a foreigner) off the scorer's sheet in a number of contests this season, including the playoffs this week.

Nevertheless, Bender has been scouted thoroughly by NBA talent evaluators at every level players his age typically compete, having participated in the Jordan Brand Classic in New York, the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in New York, two adidas EuroCamps, three FIBA junior championships, three Euroleague International Junior Tournaments, as well as seeing over 500 minutes in a Maccabi Tel Avi uniform at the senior level this season.

Representatives of all 30 NBA teams have been present to watch him play and practice this season according to Maccabi Tel Aviv, including the Euroleague preseason games they played against Armani Milan in Chicago and New York last October.

BaronV wrote:The guys who sound really positive on Bender seem to be treating this like a baseball prospect rather than NBA.  On a baseball team, a newly drafted prospect doesn't take up a roster spot, and is expected to be assigned to a league with other players of his age and skill level to develop.  In the NBA, a player needs to be able to step right in and play on the major league team.  Being sent to the D-league isn't really a part of the NBA culture at this point, and still takes up a roster spot.  Having an 18 year old kid who has played limited minutes in the Euro league come and get pushed all over the court by grown men in the NBA isn't going to do much for his confidence or development.  He's not going to win minutes on a good team like Boston, and would be better off going to a team like Philly or Phoenix where he can get playing time on a bad team.  Boston needs someone who can step in and help them get to the next level now, not three years from now.  Likewise, LA is going to look to get back into contention quickly in the free agent market and would probably rather bring in an NBA-ready talent than a project.  

I really don't think Danny will draft Bender.
But as Danny recently said, he is looking long term, not just the upcoming season.

Here's one of the videos I saw of Bender.
We have to remember that he is 18 years old and 6 months.
Many of these highlights were when he was 17 or just turned 18.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=omWaGr-lOx4