Dragan Bender

[KG Living Legend]

I can't really think of a fair comp to Bender.

How does he compare to Dario Saric?  Are they similar at all?

 No. They are both white Europeans, but that's where the comparisons end.

[Tr1boy]

Ind workouts will make or break benders standings in the draft

He is a poor rebounder considering length.   I get he needs to add strength but from what I have seen is not willing to get his hands dirty

He plays like a sf on both ends but not is not a sf and can't guard sfs ft

[loco_91]

Ind workouts will make or break benders standings in the draft

He is a poor rebounder considering length.   I get he needs to add strength but from what I have seen is not willing to get his hands dirty

He plays like a sf on both ends but not is not a sf and can't guard sfs ft

He can absolutely guard SFs. And probably a lot of SGs, too... Agree that workouts will be decisive for him though.

[Tr1boy]

Ind workouts will make or break benders standings in the draft

He is a poor rebounder considering length.   I get he needs to add strength but from what I have seen is not willing to get his hands dirty

He plays like a sf on both ends but not is not a sf and can't guard sfs ft

He can absolutely guard SFs. And probably a lot of SGs, too... Agree that workouts will be decisive for him though.

So you are saying alternatively he can play sf in the NBA?

[loco_91]

Ind workouts will make or break benders standings in the draft

He is a poor rebounder considering length.   I get he needs to add strength but from what I have seen is not willing to get his hands dirty

He plays like a sf on both ends but not is not a sf and can't guard sfs ft

He can absolutely guard SFs. And probably a lot of SGs, too... Agree that workouts will be decisive for him though.

So you are saying alternatively he can play sf in the NBA?

PF is his natural position, especially once he gains some weight. But yeah, he's more a "swing" than a "big".

[tankcity!]

Ind workouts will make or break benders standings in the draft

He is a poor rebounder considering length.   I get he needs to add strength but from what I have seen is not willing to get his hands dirty

He plays like a sf on both ends but not is not a sf and can't guard sfs ft

He can absolutely guard SFs. And probably a lot of SGs, too... Agree that workouts will be decisive for him though.

I've seen videos, that's not true at all. He can guard them on a switch, but not individually. He is a PF in my book.

[Csfan1984]

From what I have seen Bender is a PF and an elite defender prospect. He is similar to what WCS is at Center as he has agility and good athleticism. He also has good instincts that help him on the court to assist the team in good plays much like Smart does for C's. Question is like Smart and WCS will he be able to improve his offensive skills or just be a clean up type guy. But at least every thing we hear is that he works hard  like Faried. For a 7'1 guy just working hard gets you a dbl dbl in this league easy and some decent defensive stats.

[Tr1boy]

From what I have seen Bender is a PF and an elite defender prospect. He is similar to what WCS is at Center as he has agility and good athleticism. He also has good instincts that help him on the court to assist the team in good plays much like Smart does for C's. Question is like Smart and WCS will he be able to improve his offensive skills or just be a clean up type guy. But at least every thing we hear is that he works hard  like Faried. For a 7'1 guy just working hard gets you a dbl dbl in this league easy and some decent defensive stats.

you are very generous in your description of a guy barely anyone has seen actually play. His coach didn't give him consistent min  (on a team considered below NCAA level talent) .   

Look at his rebound #s .  A guy that works hard as you state (Faried level, really?) plus the type of length he has, would rebound the ball a heck lot better rate.   

What he has 7'4 wingspan and 9'3 reach? 

[Quetzalcoatl]

From what I have seen Bender is a PF and an elite defender prospect. He is similar to what WCS is at Center as he has agility and good athleticism. He also has good instincts that help him on the court to assist the team in good plays much like Smart does for C's. Question is like Smart and WCS will he be able to improve his offensive skills or just be a clean up type guy. But at least every thing we hear is that he works hard  like Faried. For a 7'1 guy just working hard gets you a dbl dbl in this league easy and some decent defensive stats.

you are very generous in your description of a guy barely anyone has seen actually play. His coach didn't give him consistent min  (on a team considered below NCAA level talent) .   

Look at his rebound #s .  A guy that works hard as you state (Faried level, really?) plus the type of length he has, would rebound the ball a heck lot better rate.   

What he has 7'4 wingspan and 9'3 reach?

He's been getting consistent minutes lately and keep in mind he's super young and playing against grown men.  The last couple months he's looked great

[Tr1boy]

From what I have seen Bender is a PF and an elite defender prospect. He is similar to what WCS is at Center as he has agility and good athleticism. He also has good instincts that help him on the court to assist the team in good plays much like Smart does for C's. Question is like Smart and WCS will he be able to improve his offensive skills or just be a clean up type guy. But at least every thing we hear is that he works hard  like Faried. For a 7'1 guy just working hard gets you a dbl dbl in this league easy and some decent defensive stats.

you are very generous in your description of a guy barely anyone has seen actually play. His coach didn't give him consistent min  (on a team considered below NCAA level talent) .   

Look at his rebound #s .  A guy that works hard as you state (Faried level, really?) plus the type of length he has, would rebound the ball a heck lot better rate.   

What he has 7'4 wingspan and 9'3 reach?

He's been getting consistent minutes lately and keep in mind he's super young and playing against grown men.  The last couple months he's looked great

Ok, I will take your word for it.   Again the Ind workouts should be key

I have seen some more recent highlights and the release on his shot looks a little quicker.

He could really use a dribble , stop and pop like Dirk.  That could take his offense to another elvel

[Csfan1984]

From what I have seen Bender is a PF and an elite defender prospect. He is similar to what WCS is at Center as he has agility and good athleticism. He also has good instincts that help him on the court to assist the team in good plays much like Smart does for C's. Question is like Smart and WCS will he be able to improve his offensive skills or just be a clean up type guy. But at least every thing we hear is that he works hard  like Faried. For a 7'1 guy just working hard gets you a dbl dbl in this league easy and some decent defensive stats.

you are very generous in your description of a guy barely anyone has seen actually play. His coach didn't give him consistent min  (on a team considered below NCAA level talent) .   

Look at his rebound #s .  A guy that works hard as you state (Faried level, really?) plus the type of length he has, would rebound the ball a heck lot better rate.   

What he has 7'4 wingspan and 9'3 reach?

He's been getting consistent minutes lately and keep in mind he's super young and playing against grown men.  The last couple months he's looked great

Ok, I will take your word for it.   Again the Ind workouts should be key

I have seen some more recent highlights and the release on his shot looks a little quicker.

He could really use a dribble , stop and pop like Dirk.  That could take his offense to another elvel

I'm going off footage from last year, summits, the few minutes this year and reports. His rebounding numbers are  always going to be down because he tends to get too aggressive in his defense. He is the anti James Young he tries like a mad man to be every where at one time instead of disappearing in a corner. If he has a Tom Thibodeau coach he could be beast on defense and keep his rebounds high.

[walker834]

I slept on it and still liking Bender.  I don't like hype and chad ford and stuff like that and just taking players because they are ranked wherever. It's finding players that fit us and the right guys.  Ainge found Isaiah Thomas when how many people had him ranked there. I was never that high on certain prospects because I just don't see them as a guy i want to build around. Bender I like though but it does depend on certain things.  This was the most recent highlight video i could find that gave a g ood mix and he has some weaknesses but he's 18. I like Simmons and think he is a better prospect than certain guys in recent drafts but I also have questions on him.  I like our current team as I've said as well.  Drafting murray or whoever or even Hield doesn't sit that well with me.  I'd rather trade the pick in ways.   We do need shooting and size.  I'm not sold on Love or Cousins either though.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJD9kPQNdJ4

I'd be interested to hear how Ainge sees it and my viewpoint on how we draft because year in and year out we seem to do things I like that doesn't go  with the consensus.  He explores a lot of things and so do I but when it comes down to it. Still 2 months to go until draft time though.

Maybe I'm wrong and open to certain things but I'd really have to be sold why so and so is a better prospect and given reasons why.

It is about taking or finding the bpa in a  lot of ways but that can mean a lot of things.

Bender looks like he could play sf and give us some length behind jay crowder and also play all over the place at pf and center as he develops.  The one thing that concerns me is he doesn't appear to have great lift.

We could take a guy like Simmons. We could take a guy like Hield or Murray or even Brown and make a move for a big man. But I really think it's debateable at this point.

[walker834]

I'm not wrong when I say that though.  Every year is like that. The pundits want certain guys than boo our pick because they just don't understand it.  Ainge to me is going to find the best possible situation. He makes mistakes too but I think he's going to find it more times than not. That could be via trade, drafting a player people don't expect or whatever. He's not going to draft a guy just because so and so says so though.  It does have to do with how it fits what we are trying to do.  Some players would change that. Simmons might but I don't know.  I was not that high on Wiggins.  Okafor was a guy i thought was worth trying to move up for at the very least.  Not the end all be all though by any means.

Bender as it stands is going to take a bit.  He's skinny and I don't know his heart.  We need size and shooting in ways and legit physical talent at the same time.  Guys like Simmons, Love, Cousins etc might be a better fit.  But I'd put Bender up there as an option as someone to develop.

This might be the year where we take a guy like Simmons or Ingram or Hield or trade the pick alltogether.  I don't know that yet though.

[Celtics4ever]

Hope, we pass on this kid, every year, there is a new mystery man from Europe, sometimes they pan out but usually they do not.  I have no problem taking him mid first round, worth the gamble there but not with a top five pick.

2005 11 - Fran Vazquez - Epic Bust (never came over)
2005 12 - Yaroslav Koralev - Epic Bust
2006 1 - Andrea Bargnani - Bust relative to draft selection
2006 11 - Mouhamed Sene - Epic Bust
2006 13 - Thabo Sefolosha - Okay but not great
2007 6 - Yi Jianlian - Epic Bust
2008 6 - Danilo Galinari - Okay but not great
2009 5 - Ricky Rubio - Okay but not great
2011 3 - Enas Kanter - Trending towards good
2011 5 - Jonas Valanciunas - Trending towards good
2011 6 - Jan Vesely - Epic Bust
2011 7 - Bizmack Biyombo - Bust relative to draft position
2014 5 - Dante Exum - Wait and see
2014 12 - Dario Saric - Wait and see

Notable later selections:
2005 36 - Ersan Ilysova
2005 57 - Marcin Gortat
2007 18 - Marco Belinelli
2007 28 - Tiago Splitter
2007 48 - Marc Gasol
2008 24 - Serge Ibaka
2008 25 - Nicolas Batum
2008 31 - Nikola Pekovic
2008 36 - Omer Asik
2008 45 - Goran Dragic
2011 20 - Donatas Motiejunas
2011 23 - Nikola Mirotic
2013 28 - Rudy Gobert
2014 16 - Jusuf Nurkic (Early but looks really solid)

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-bulls-confidential/2015/08/the-nba-is-lousy-at-drafting-interntional-players-the-bulls-are-not/

Does not count Darko, either, who was a bust.

[walker834]

Pau, Marc and Dirk happen though.  I'm not putting Bender on their level especially not yet.  He is 18 though.  Simmons is much further a long in his development and much better physical specimen right now.  Simmons is a better player clearly right now, but I'd still like to see him play off the ball a bit more. 

The spurs would disagree as well. There are a lot of busts.  I could list a bunch of busts that were high and later picks that weren't european as well though.

I don't think European talent is all that different if you know what you are doing.   Porzingis, Ginobli, etc, etc...