SI Video on Bender

[ssspence]

I like Bender, though I can't say I'm on the bandwagon.

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'm pretty sure Bender is the right guy to pick at three, though it may not show until a year or two from now.

Will Danny make the pick? Bender just doesn't feel like an Ainge selection.

Pho, I think Team Dragan is slowly dying. I'm starting to accept that Danny's going to take Murray or Brown.h

Don't give up yet!!! By all accounts Bender is one of the last for workouts with our top pick. What if Bender hits 86 3s and does 30 full courts in the boston marathon?
 

[dannyboy35]

I like Bender, though I can't say I'm on the bandwagon.

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

Kelley is an excellent ball handler. Are they really saying he is comparable in this category? I'd be really surprised.

[dannyboy35]

I like Bender, though I can't say I'm on the bandwagon.

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

Kelley is an excellent ball handler. Are they really saying he is comparable in this category? I'd be really surprised.

I thought it was a given that jelly was the better shooter , dribbler, and passer.

[max215]

I'm pretty sure Bender is the right guy to pick at three, though it may not show until a year or two from now.

Will Danny make the pick? Bender just doesn't feel like an Ainge selection.

Pho, I think Team Dragan is slowly dying. I'm starting to accept that Danny's going to take Murray or Brown.h

Don't give up yet!!! By all accounts Bender is one of the last for workouts with our top pick. What if Bender hits 86 3s and does 30 full courts in the boston marathon?
 

Yeah, it's the 21st I think. Well, at least we can hope still. Murray is your guy, right? I'm starting to come around on him.

[kozlodoev]

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

The Olynyk comparison was intended to once again highlight that while ball handling and shooting are nice skills, the NBA careers of bigs are largely dictated by how well they do the things bigs are expected to do. That's why Kelly Olynyk is a bit NBA player, and Pau Gasol is an NBA all-star.

Folks who drool over Bender's "SF skillz" tend to ignore the fact that his "other skills" (you know, the ones he's most likely to use at his projected NBA position) are not all that great.

[footey]

I'm pretty sure Bender is the right guy to pick at three, though it may not show until a year or two from now.

Will Danny make the pick? Bender just doesn't feel like an Ainge selection.

Pho, I think Team Dragan is slowly dying. I'm starting to accept that Danny's going to take Murray or Brown.

I think a lot will hinge on his workout with the team next Tuesday.  I see his stock vacillate almost daily.  Mostly because while he has been radio silent (abroad), other guys have had impressive workouts, Ex. A being Chriss. 

[greenrunsdeep41]

Was about to post this. 

Danny, please, please, please exercise patience and grab this kid with the #3 pick.

You will never regret it.

Please.

Yesyesyes. I mean, he can shoot and pass like...like... Kelly Olynyk?

Great! We got KO at 22 years old. If this kid can pass and shoot like KO at 18, is miles more athletic than KO and has more of a killer instinct...I'm all in!

Nothing I've seen in the videos suggests to me that he's "Miles more athletic" or even more athletic enough to gain an advantage.  I like Kelly, but one of my issues with him is that his first (and second) steps offensively aren't fast enough in the NBA to really get past defenders.

Really? Nothing you've seen of him suggests he is more athletic than KO? Remember athleticism isn't just jumping, it's lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility and dexterity. Bender has great lateral movement for a 7 footer, great food speed and good agility and dexterity. All at the age of 18 and before he has started an NBA weights program

It may come as a surprise to you, but weights programs do not help with lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility, and dexterity. In fact, as far as the later 3 items are concerned, they may hurt more than help.

This is just incredibly untrue. I'm supposing you've never played high level sports or trained with professionals over an extended period of time. Training in today's world is so much more than lifting weights and absolutely increases all athletic functions. Furthermore most trainers work to enhance genetic strengths.

[ssspence]

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

The Olynyk comparison was intended to once again highlight that while ball handling and shooting are nice skills, the NBA careers of bigs are largely dictated by how well they do the things bigs are expected to do. That's why Kelly Olynyk is a bit NBA player, and Pau Gasol is an NBA all-star.

Folks who drool over Bender's "SF skillz" tend to ignore the fact that his "other skills" (you know, the ones he's most likely to use at his projected NBA position) are not all that great.

Care to be more specific? What are you saying he can't do, or learn to do, exactly?

[DefenseWinsChamps]

I'm pretty sure Bender is the right guy to pick at three, though it may not show until a year or two from now.

Will Danny make the pick? Bender just doesn't feel like an Ainge selection.

Pho, I think Team Dragan is slowly dying. I'm starting to accept that Danny's going to take Murray or Brown.h

Don't give up yet!!! By all accounts Bender is one of the last for workouts with our top pick. What if Bender hits 86 3s and does 30 full courts in the boston marathon?
 

Yeah, it's the 21st I think. Well, at least we can hope still. Murray is your guy, right? I'm starting to come around on him.

I can talk myself into Murray, but Bender is my guy.

[TheSundanceKid]

Was about to post this. 

Danny, please, please, please exercise patience and grab this kid with the #3 pick.

You will never regret it.

Please.

Yesyesyes. I mean, he can shoot and pass like...like... Kelly Olynyk?

Great! We got KO at 22 years old. If this kid can pass and shoot like KO at 18, is miles more athletic than KO and has more of a killer instinct...I'm all in!

Nothing I've seen in the videos suggests to me that he's "Miles more athletic" or even more athletic enough to gain an advantage.  I like Kelly, but one of my issues with him is that his first (and second) steps offensively aren't fast enough in the NBA to really get past defenders.

Really? Nothing you've seen of him suggests he is more athletic than KO? Remember athleticism isn't just jumping, it's lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility and dexterity. Bender has great lateral movement for a 7 footer, great food speed and good agility and dexterity. All at the age of 18 and before he has started an NBA weights program

It may come as a surprise to you, but weights programs do not help with lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility, and dexterity. In fact, as far as the later 3 items are concerned, they may hurt more than help.

Yeah, so all you football running backs who are working on cutbacks, jukes, and exploding through the holes should just stop lifting weights because it will just hurt your athleticism on the field.

That doesn't make sense. If he only lifted for upper body and never did leg or core day (ahem Tyson Chandler), then maybe he loses some of his lateral quickness and agility. But the right weight liftin program will not hurt his athleticism. It will help.

TP that's exactly right. Weightlifting is not exclusive to bodybuilding. There are many programs designed to achieve different goals

[Ed Hollison]

The thing the video reminds me of is how good Bender may end up being at so-called “attacking close outs”. There are plenty of 7-footers in the league now who can shoot the 3. But there are not many who can shoot the 3, but when they get chased off the line, can dribble to the basket and either finish or make a play. Olynyk is actually very good here, he just doesn’t have the speed, quickness, and length that Bender does. That’s in addition to what I think NBA GMs are salivating over, which is his ability to switch on D and guard multiple positions.

The other thing, and I’ve said this before in other conversations, is that the fact that he’s a total gym rat who eats/breathes/dreams basketball is very, very important. This kid is 18 and is  very strongly likely to work hard on his game, getting stronger, eating right, etc. He’s extremely competitive and has an active motor, likes to play defense, and knows how to play in a team concept. A guy with a mental makeup like that who’s 7 feet tall and can dribble/shoot/pass could still be a bust, but I doubt it.

[moiso]

Was about to post this. 

Danny, please, please, please exercise patience and grab this kid with the #3 pick.

You will never regret it.

Please.

Yesyesyes. I mean, he can shoot and pass like...like... Kelly Olynyk?

Great! We got KO at 22 years old. If this kid can pass and shoot like KO at 18, is miles more athletic than KO and has more of a killer instinct...I'm all in!

Nothing I've seen in the videos suggests to me that he's "Miles more athletic" or even more athletic enough to gain an advantage.  I like Kelly, but one of my issues with him is that his first (and second) steps offensively aren't fast enough in the NBA to really get past defenders.

Really? Nothing you've seen of him suggests he is more athletic than KO? Remember athleticism isn't just jumping, it's lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility and dexterity. Bender has great lateral movement for a 7 footer, great food speed and good agility and dexterity. All at the age of 18 and before he has started an NBA weights program

It may come as a surprise to you, but weights programs do not help with lateral movement, foot speed, explosiveness, agility, and dexterity. In fact, as far as the later 3 items are concerned, they may hurt more than help.

So why do Olympic sprinters lift weights?  Of course some weight training will help all of those things.

[DefenseWinsChamps]

That said, I think the Olynyk comparison is a little lazy. He certainly looks far more nimble than Kelly, and his overall mechanics (dribbling, shooting, etc) look more textbook from where I sit.

The Olynyk comparison was intended to once again highlight that while ball handling and shooting are nice skills, the NBA careers of bigs are largely dictated by how well they do the things bigs are expected to do. That's why Kelly Olynyk is a bit NBA player, and Pau Gasol is an NBA all-star.

Folks who drool over Bender's "SF skillz" tend to ignore the fact that his "other skills" (you know, the ones he's most likely to use at his projected NBA position) are not all that great.

His versatility is legit. It could turn him from a good player to a great one and I think it raises his floor considerably.

What does it mean to play power forward in the modern NBA? What did most playoff teams have their 4 doing? Love? Frye? Green? Barnes? Patterson? Carroll? Ibaka? Deng? Williams? C Zeller? Dirk? Harris? George?

That's right. They use them as stretch fours and distributors. If they can play defense, then they are considered elite. If they are good enough passers or scorers then the entire offense runs through them.

Bender will probably play the four in the NBA. Most bigs are asked to pass, shoot, and defend at that position. (Or at least one of them) Bender can do it all. He probably is never a 25 ppg guy, but that doesn't mean he can't impact the game in an Allstar type way.

[PhoSita]

I can talk myself into the merits of selecting Murray or Hield.  Those guys can shoot the lights out, at least, and this team needs that.  I'm just not sure either will ever be a full time player due to lack of playmaking and weakness defensively.

Brown and Chriss are physical specimens.  Selecting either would be a huge vote of confidence in the coaching staff and the infrastructure the Celts have in place to get the most out of a raw prospect with major tools and major weaknesses.

I could understand selecting Dunn if Danny thinks he's the third best player in this draft and a future top 5-10 player at the point guard position.  BPA is the way to go, and this is an increasingly point guard driven league.

Bender just makes the most sense to me.  I think he will take a year or two to become a rotation player beyond 15-20 minutes a night, but I think even if he doesn't develop his skills a great deal from where they are now, a guy with his size and length who can shoot the ball provides a lot of value, especially if he can defend stretch fours.  If he reaches his potential, I think he could be a borderline All-Star who makes big plays at both ends and allows a team to field the most dangerous modern lineups. 


I have a feeling the pick will either be a swing for the fences with Chriss or Brown, or a "guard logjam be-danged" pick with Kris Dunn.