Can Someone Emphatically Against Bender Explain Why?

[Ilikesports17]

Ive been against bender pretty much this whole year.

But that has just been my standard issue Euro-fear. I didnt want GA either.

I know almost nothing about him. Hes a huge mystery. However I dont understand how people can be so strongly against a mystery. I think we can all trust DA to do his HW to the point where he wont take the guy unless he has a good feel for him. The upside with Bender is obvious. He is really big and young and supposedly has a terrific mental makeup. I understand how you can prefer other players. I can see falling in love with Murray or Dunn or even Brown or Hield, but I want to know what Im missing in Bender. what info is out there that suggests this guy is gonna be a big bust?

Genuinely curious here, trying to form a legit evaluation of the guy.

[Quetzalcoatl]

They're scared he hasn't played enough games, but he's the youngest player in the draft and was on the best team of any prospect in the draft at the same time.  That team knew he was leaving on top of that.  He has to fight for minutes against grown men who are pretty decent all things considered and you know what?  He started getting minutes not long ago and looked pretty good.  I really don't want to look like a bunch of whiny Knicks fans.

[PhoSita]

I think it's essentially that he's a Euro who has a very small and largely unimpressive body of work over there because he's so young and playing in the Adriatic League. So it seems his status as a top three prospect in this draft is based entirely on the opinions of professional scouts, whose opinions we as fans have little opportunity to read and no opportunity to investigate or cross examine.

Plus he's skinny and white and there isn't a lot of video of him to get excited about.

[The One]

I think it's essentially that he's a Euro who has a very small and largely unimpressive body of work over there because he's so young and playing in the Adriatic League. So it seems his status as a top three prospect in this draft is based entirely on the opinions of professional scouts, whose opinions we as fans have little opportunity to read and no opportunity to investigate or cross examine.

Plus he's skinny and white and there isn't a lot of video of him to get excited about.

Makes sense...I hope the Celtics pick him.

[Ilikesports17]

They're scared he hasn't played enough games, but he's the youngest player in the draft and was on the best team of any prospect in the draft at the same time.  That team knew he was leaving on top of that.  He has to fight for minutes against grown men who are pretty decent all things considered and you know what?  He started getting minutes not long ago and looked pretty good.  I really don't want to look like a bunch of whiny Knicks fans.

I think it's essentially that he's a Euro who has a very small and largely unimpressive body of work over there because he's so young and playing in the Adriatic League. So it seems his status as a top three prospect in this draft is based entirely on the opinions of professional scouts, whose opinions we as fans have little opportunity to read and no opportunity to investigate or cross examine.

Plus he's skinny and white and there isn't a lot of video of him to get excited about.

THats the thing. I understand being apprehensive  and I understand really calling into question his ceiling and stuff like that. however I simply do not understand how people can garuntee he will be a bust or claim picking him will have them calling for Ainges job.

Also there was way to much positive thinking in those posts. I want to see bender ripped to pieces in this thread!

[Roy H.]

It's the lack of production. Here's his game log:

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Dragan-Bender/GameLogs/41582/All#

I trust Danny, but nothing suggests that this kid is a good player right now. It's all about developing his raw skills into production. At #3, you hope for something other than a project.

[PickNRoll]

I'm not emphatically against picking him, but I don't want to pick him.  Ironically, I think he's a safe pick.  We have enough assets that I'd rather gamble.

- runs the floor really well for a guy his size
- decent range.  Better shooter than Zeller, much worse than Porzingis
- average rebounder.  He was 18 years old in a very mature league.  He got pushed around.  That said, he projects as a mediocre rebounder.  Doesn't have a nose for the ball like a Sullinger.
- handles the ball well for a 7 footer.  Not a skill I'm enamored with.  Call me old-fashioned.
- good outlet passer, marginalized on a mediocre rebounder
- doesn't impact games defensively the way you would hope.  He's 7 ft and moves well, but doesn't control space.

To me, he looks like a taller Toni Kukoc.  I don't see anything that he does better than Ellenson other than run like a deer.  Even Poeltl has a more defined role and will contribute sooner.

I'd rather gamble on a guy like Murray, Ellenson, Hield, or even trade down.

[alldaboston]

Does he have the body type to ever become a strong player? Like, put on serious weight and be able to be a legit option in the post on offense and also on defense.

[mmmmm]

I think it's essentially that he's a Euro who has a very small and largely unimpressive body of work over there because he's so young and playing in the Adriatic League. So it seems his status as a top three prospect in this draft is based entirely on the opinions of professional scouts, whose opinions we as fans have little opportunity to read and no opportunity to investigate or cross examine.

Plus he's skinny and white and there isn't a lot of video of him to get excited about.

Minor correction:  He's been playing on one of the top two teams in the Israeli BSL, not the Adriatic, this season.

All things considered, considering that Maccabi Tel Aviv is a contending team dominated by much older veterans, the fact that he's getting just under 14 minutes (in a 40 minute game) is pretty good.

[PhoSita]

It's the lack of production. Here's his game log:

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Dragan-Bender/GameLogs/41582/All#

I trust Danny, but nothing suggests that this kid is a good player right now. It's all about developing his raw skills into production. At #3, you hope for something other than a project.

I mean, at the top of the draft, you hope for something other than a project, but you also hope for somebody with a high ceiling.

Unfortunately, this draft seems to present the Celts with a choice between the two.  Missing out on the top two means you gotta take a raw project and trust your ability to develop young players, or you have to take somebody who is more of a finished project but with significantly less apparent potential.


I can get behind picking Bender because he's the youngest guy in the draft and I appreciate that his current team had virtually no incentive to give him time or develop him.  They knew he'd be gone in a year.

As long as the Celts get to interview him and work him out, and they determine he has the mentality to work hard and succeed in the NBA, I'm OK with taking a raw project.

It's not like drafting a young project out of an American college with some production on a big stage is any guarantee, after all (see: James Young).

[PhoSita]

I think it's essentially that he's a Euro who has a very small and largely unimpressive body of work over there because he's so young and playing in the Adriatic League. So it seems his status as a top three prospect in this draft is based entirely on the opinions of professional scouts, whose opinions we as fans have little opportunity to read and no opportunity to investigate or cross examine.

Plus he's skinny and white and there isn't a lot of video of him to get excited about.

Minor correction:  He's been playing on one of the top two teams in the Israeli BSL, not the Adriatic, this season.

All things considered, considering that Maccabi Tel Aviv is a contending team dominated by much older veterans, the fact that he's getting just under 14 minutes (in a 40 minute game) is pretty good.

My bad, getting my foreign scrub leagues mixed up.   

[Tr1boy]

Omg .  Someone needs to ban "bender" from this forum

The guy is the opposite of proven

Has good physical measurements , quick and some decent games under his belt

Bit where is the "substance". Basically we draft a project and take all the risks associated with it

When was the last euro project that amounted to anything in the NBA. ....waiting.......

[CoachBo]

It's the lack of production. Here's his game log:

http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Dragan-Bender/GameLogs/41582/All#

I trust Danny, but nothing suggests that this kid is a good player right now. It's all about developing his raw skills into production. At #3, you hope for something other than a project.

This. There is absolutely nothing to suggest this guy would be anything but a HUGE reach at 3, and I can assure you that there's one veteran NBA scout who doesn't think he will ever play meaningful minutes in the league.

If you're fine with mediocrity - first round exits and overachieving teams that crater in the playoffs - then such a reach is probably attractive.

I am not, and I doubt Brad Stevens is either. It's time to significantly upgrade this team on the floor right now. Bender is not capable of doing that.

My position is firm: Bender would be the biggest Celtics draft mistake in the history of the franchise.

[PhoSita]

When was the last euro project that amounted to anything in the NBA. ....waiting.......

Yeah guys, we should totally draft SABONIS instead!

[PhoSita]

I can assure you that there's one veteran NBA scout who doesn't think he will ever play meaningful minutes in the league.

I don't doubt it, but isn't there probably one scout out there who thinks this about the vast majority of prospects outside of the top tier of any given draft?