Dragan Bender's Best NBA Comparison

[Tr1boy]

Really Bender seems more like a very tall SF to me, a bigger version of Andrei Kirilenko or Tayshaun Prince. In today's NBA though those guys might have played a lot more minutes at the PF.

In the past he would have been considered too thin to be a good big man in the NBA, but the landscape does seem to be changing a bit. That might work to his advantage, as his opposition might be similarly more perimeter-oriented and lightweight.

Benders best bet is to carve out a role Dirk has. As a sf occupying the pf position.  This requires the team to have a tyson chandler, drummond to do all the dirty work downlow (grab 15 plus rebounds , defend multiple big players on their own).  How easy is it to find a center like this today?

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Psst - another interesting tidbit.

Those who discount Bender's vertical should know that Larry Sanders, as a 22 year old, had a 28'' vertical with a 9'4'' standing reach. Bender, as a 17 year old, had a 27.5'' vertical and a 9'3'' standing reach.

Another example is Lucas Noguiera (largely recognized as an athletic big when he was drafted), had a 9'6'' standing reach and a 28'' vertical within one month of his 20th birthday. He was 220 pounds and 7'0''.

Or Gobert had a 9'7'' standing reach and a 29'' vertical as a 21 year old. He was 7'2'' and 238.

Or Hawes had a 9'2'' standing reach and a 29'' vertical as a 19 year old. He was 7'1'' and 244.

Bender needs to develop feel and timing. He had it against guys his own age. He had it in moments against grown men in a solid foreign league. He has to adjust to bigger, faster, and more athletic players in the NBA.

Nice try. He cant jump like hawes

Gobert btw doesnt have to jump

Sanders is above the rim

Lucas can leap with some time to gather

Clearly your opinion trumps the combine numbers.

Bender is in the same athletic category as every one of those guys, including length and vertical. Except he is at 1/2 year, 1 1/2 years, 2 1/2 years, and 3 1/2 years younger than them.

The only difference is that he is obviously faster than each of them.

You know who was "quick" before needing to bulk up to handle nba frontcourt players?

Tyler Zeller

Bender wont be as quick once he adds the weight to handle the nba grind (though he sounds reluctant to want to bulk up)

Sounds like he follows his own rules or something.

He is positionless

Zeller still is quick. But he had four more years on him when he got to the NBA.

Positionless? Good. That is the new NBA. The question in the new NBA is whether he can defend, shoot, or pass. He can.

And believe it or not, they might not need a Tyson Chandler-type. The Warriors rely heavily on team rebounding principles. That's what CBS is instilling.

Welcome to the new NBA.

[Beat LA]

I've seen him compared to yi jianlian

Who Danny Ainge once compared to Kevin Garnett . God help us, lol.

[Beat LA]

I'd be thrilled to have Mirotic on the Celts.

Mirotic is also 23. If Bender is that sort of player at 18, with much better measurables giving him a chance to become a far superior defender down the road, that would be remarkable.

Why?  He's a terrible defensive player, iirc.

He's also an excellent shooter and skilled scorer.  Not a guy you can use in a starting lineup without quality defenders providing cover for him, but he's better than anybody the Celts currently have.

A seven footer with that kind of offensive skill and the tools to become an above average multi positional defender would be very valuable.

Couldn't you say the same thing about Doug McDermott?

No, not really.

True, McDermott has much better lateral quickness and hops .