SI Video on Bender

[DefenseWinsChamps]

Koz - no one is denying that he is a risk, but all you do is throw shade at him. Tell me that you can see some potential, no matter how small in your mind, for him to become a really good player. Even if you don't see it as likely, you have to see some potential. Honestly if you don't, I'm not sure your assessment of any player is worth much.

The obvious potential is there, no matter how hard you work to write his career before his 19th birthday.

Tell me you see at least some potential. Like best case scenario, if everything goes perfectly, what is his ceiling comparison?

What do you want me to tell you? If everything goes perfectly, he'll be a Kevin Love/Ben Wallace hybrid that's 5 inches taller. Realistically, he'll probably be a Kelly Olynyk clone who looks more aesthetically pleasing when he runs the court.

Come on man. Don't hide behind sarcasm. What's your best case scenario comparison? Or stat line? Or projection? And what is the chances he reaches it.

I've given you my best case scenario. The chance that he reaches it is less than 1 percent.

What is your realistic best case scenario then?

[kozlodoev]

Koz - no one is denying that he is a risk, but all you do is throw shade at him. Tell me that you can see some potential, no matter how small in your mind, for him to become a really good player. Even if you don't see it as likely, you have to see some potential. Honestly if you don't, I'm not sure your assessment of any player is worth much.

The obvious potential is there, no matter how hard you work to write his career before his 19th birthday.

Tell me you see at least some potential. Like best case scenario, if everything goes perfectly, what is his ceiling comparison?

What do you want me to tell you? If everything goes perfectly, he'll be a Kevin Love/Ben Wallace hybrid that's 5 inches taller. Realistically, he'll probably be a Kelly Olynyk clone who looks more aesthetically pleasing when he runs the court.

but that's the thing


Realistically none of us know how he'll 'probably' work out


So it's kind of unreasonable at this point to take a hard stance on whether or not he reaches his potential

Realistically we have a big who has shown nothing indicating that he will be an above average rebounder or inside defender. People have chosen to ignore that and even argue it doesn't matter but it doesn't mean it will go away.

[The Oracle]

Koz - no one is denying that he is a risk, but all you do is throw shade at him. Tell me that you can see some potential, no matter how small in your mind, for him to become a really good player. Even if you don't see it as likely, you have to see some potential. Honestly if you don't, I'm not sure your assessment of any player is worth much.

The obvious potential is there, no matter how hard you work to write his career before his 19th birthday.

Tell me you see at least some potential. Like best case scenario, if everything goes perfectly, what is his ceiling comparison?

The biggest problem with the vast majority of posters is that for their entire lifetime they have watched and believed that your big men should bangers, rebound, protect the rim and score inside.  It is very hard to realize that teams just might be better by employing a different strategy. 

It is clear though and has been for years that stretch bigs pull a rim protector away from the hoop creating space to attack the rim and more open 3's.  The bigs that hold extreme value are the ones that can also defend the entire floor and Bender fits this mold very well.  Less mobile bigs that do not stretch the floor are being pushed right out of the NBA and will continue to be.

[kozlodoev]

What is your realistic best case scenario then?

I fully expect a Kelly Olynyk type of production, with the requisite benefits of being slightly longer.

[kozlodoev]

Koz - no one is denying that he is a risk, but all you do is throw shade at him. Tell me that you can see some potential, no matter how small in your mind, for him to become a really good player. Even if you don't see it as likely, you have to see some potential. Honestly if you don't, I'm not sure your assessment of any player is worth much.

The obvious potential is there, no matter how hard you work to write his career before his 19th birthday.

Tell me you see at least some potential. Like best case scenario, if everything goes perfectly, what is his ceiling comparison?

The biggest problem with the vast majority of posters is that for their entire lifetime they have watched and believed that your big men should bangers, rebound, protect the rim and score inside.  It is very hard to realize that teams just might be better by employing a different strategy. 

It is clear though and has been for years that stretch bigs pull a rim protector away from the hoop creating space to attack the rim and more open 3's.  The bigs that hold extreme value are the ones that can also defend the entire floor and Bender fits this mold very well.  Less mobile bigs that do not stretch the floor are being pushed right out of the NBA and will continue to be.

If inside defense and rebounding weren't important, teams would have been able to get away with playing two SFs for years. But they can't.

[PhoSita]

Looking at a list of the best lineups in the league this season, the guys a power forward would have to defend include:

Ibaka
Green
Aldridge
Love
Millsap
Patterson
Griffin

That's not even counting the bigger threes that could get switched onto a power forward, like Durant and LeBron.

All of those guys can stretch the floor out to the three point line.

None of them is really likely to kill you on the glass, though.

At the same time, with the exception of Patterson, all of those guys should -- at least in theory -- be able to punish smaller or weaker defenders in the post.  Ibaka and Love haven't always been able to do that in practice, but I think that may be due at least partially to the fact that they aren't involved in their teams' offense enough to ever get into a scoring rhythm inside.

I think it's fair to say that fielding a guy at power forward with the natural strength and post defense of a wing can still be a significant liability against the best opponents.  At the same time, I think it's clear that the likelihood of facing an opponent with a 4 that gets a significant chunk of their offense by working out of deep post-ups with their back to the basket is fairly low.

[rondohondo]

Koz - no one is denying that he is a risk, but all you do is throw shade at him. Tell me that you can see some potential, no matter how small in your mind, for him to become a really good player. Even if you don't see it as likely, you have to see some potential. Honestly if you don't, I'm not sure your assessment of any player is worth much.

The obvious potential is there, no matter how hard you work to write his career before his 19th birthday.

Tell me you see at least some potential. Like best case scenario, if everything goes perfectly, what is his ceiling comparison?

What do you want me to tell you? If everything goes perfectly, he'll be a Kevin Love/Ben Wallace hybrid that's 5 inches taller. Realistically, he'll probably be a Kelly Olynyk clone who looks more aesthetically pleasing when he runs the court.

but that's the thing


Realistically none of us know how he'll 'probably' work out


So it's kind of unreasonable at this point to take a hard stance on whether or not he reaches his potential

Realistically we have a big who has shown nothing indicating that he will be an above average rebounder or inside defender. People have chosen to ignore that and even argue it doesn't matter but it doesn't mean it will go away.

bender clearly has the foot speed, agility and near elite length to switch onto players . why does he have to provide low post defense and back to the basket moves. He will be able to get his shot off against just about anyone, has a smooth looking J,godd-great passing ability and high basketball IQ and work ethic. Why can't you put a low post defender next to him to help cover up for his strength weaknesses? Just like Dallas did with dirk and chandler.

IMO he has the highest ceiling of anyone after the top 2. And I think his floor is a kirelinko type with better offense and slightly less defense.

[greenrunsdeep41]

Just give me bender with the 3, trade up for skal 10-13, and give me some yabusele. A man can dream, a man will dream.

[footey]

What is your realistic best case scenario then?

I fully expect a Kelly Olynyk type of production, with the requisite benefits of being slightly longer.

Koz, your negative predictions about Bender remind me of your dismissiveness of Porzingis a couple of years ago when he was in the 2014 draft.  It's a fair comparison because Porzingis was the same age as Bender then (he is two years older). 

[RockinRyA]

And if "I think he can learn" is all you've got on the 3rd pick in the draft, that player should in no possible way be considered for that pick. It's a total misuse of the best pick the Celtics have had in 20 years.

Ainge can do better. And he should be expected to do better. Thankfully, he appears to have shaken off Bender-mania.

  How is beasley doing?

[steve]

I'm waiting to see a video that impresses me. One where he goes against real competition. Yi Jialan had a similar video like this one at this time too.

How are you defining real competition? Because even the Israeli league is a better quality than many college conferences. It is certainly more comparable to the NBA in terms of age and physical profile. No one can seriously argue that 18-23 year olds have the same physical maturity as fully grown men right?

There is still a huge bias toward the American system which I'm not sure is legit. There is top talent in the collegiate system that could make it in the Euro leagues during their freshman year but most take 4 years just to develop to a level where they can get a job in the Euro leagues. No one claims it to be NBA standard but it's certainly above most NCAA ball

I agree that the league he was in is very competitive. But he played a handful of minutes. And it's going to take a lot more than a couple 3s and a few chest passes to impress me.

He could be a great player in a few years. Or he could be hanging out with Robert Swift at the tattoo parlor.

[celticmania]

Prime stats- 16ppg 10rpg 4apg 1.5bpg 1spg 50/35/80 shooting

Those are Draymond Green numbers

[LGC88]

Not sure what you think guys, but it does look to me (given his east european body type) that he's more suitable to be a SF/PF player and might play a bit at the C for small ball lignup.
Therefore, he doesn't need to bulk up and compromise his agility/speed.

[playdream]

I'm waiting to see a video that impresses me. One where he goes against real competition. Yi Jialan had a similar video like this one at this time too.

How are you defining real competition? Because even the Israeli league is a better quality than many college conferences. It is certainly more comparable to the NBA in terms of age and physical profile. No one can seriously argue that 18-23 year olds have the same physical maturity as fully grown men right?

There is still a huge bias toward the American system which I'm not sure is legit. There is top talent in the collegiate system that could make it in the Euro leagues during their freshman year but most take 4 years just to develop to a level where they can get a job in the Euro leagues. No one claims it to be NBA standard but it's certainly above most NCAA ball

I agree that the league he was in is very competitive. But he played a handful of minutes. And it's going to take a lot more than a couple 3s and a few chest passes to impress me.

He could be a great player in a few years. Or he could be hanging out with Robert Swift at the tattoo parlor.

This is asking something out of nothing
If he dominated the league he won't be 3rd for we to talk about

[chiken Green]

I Want Buddy Hield  But our Celtics need Bender.

This Kid looks like he can be special on Both sides of the ball..
This is a guy that in a couple years Free Agents would love to strap up with.. His style of play will attract talent.

Thinking about what CBS has done with much less talent both in College and Here...  He is probably foaming at the mouth to work with a guy who has this many tools in the tool box..  He has done so much with so little imagine what he can do with this young dude.

We don't need our #3 pick to be all world this year..  7 of the top 10 teams in this years draft are not going to make the playoffs regardless of who they draft... We on the other hand are already a playoff team and would probably advance out of the 1st round if We simply run it back with Zero Changes.

Bender could be special for us.. That's worth taking a chance on - We can Afford to take that chance.. The Celtics need a face..

And could the kid be a flop - sure.. But how many flops has CBS coached?  My money is on that guy.