Dragan Bender News, Discussion and Highlights

[LV-Suns]

I just dug some of the stats if anyone is interested about the prior post

2013 U16 Tournament
http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_YUjW-7-FJ,kK9s431Lyr41.season_2013.roundID_9441.teamID_2168.playerID_100891.html

2014 U18 Tournament
http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_8aYeHlfuGF-mF5IqO8aFH1.season_2014.roundID_10067.teamID_2168.playerID_100891.html

[MathiasPW]

Neutral (somewhat) opinion. I've been following that kid since he was 15 when I first noticed him at 2013 FIBA Eurobasket U-16. He averaged 10-11-4 with 2 blocks over the tournamen. His offensive role was very small cause of early-bloomers on his team. When I've first seen him, he was the skinniest yet most talented 15 year old 6'11 guy I've ever seen in person.

In 2014 at the 2014. FIBA Eurobasket U-18, he played against the competition that was a year older than him. Again with limited role on offense, he put 14-11-5 with 2 blocks per game. Croatia eventually won the bronze while Bender was elected to All-Tournament team.

You must understand that Bender went to Israel, completely new world for him, at the age of 16. He played his first season very well for Maccabi's ''farm club'' in second Israeli league. Second year was his first season in Maccabi first team and it was turbulent season for both Bender and Maccabi. Maccabi was absolutely disastrous this past season, changed the coach twice and Bender had no real role, he barely played in that awful situation. Have in mind that Maccabi is Euroleague powerhouse club and the expectations are always huge. That was no good condition for a guy that was 17/18 at the time.

At the end of the season, he got his playing time, not much but steady 15-20 minutes per game. He was very good then considering his very limited role.

Talent was never the question this last season, it was his role that was non-existent.

I also believe he will be more ready for pre-season than you expect. Also, I believe he will fascinate you once you see him on the court. I tell, this kid is something special.

So, I'm not quite sure you understand that you got yourself your own 'unicorn' in Dragan Bender. Mark my words and wait for the season to start. I'm sure you will see many glimpses of his ability already this season.

I bet you are Papagiannis' dad, aren't you ?

[oddity]

Curious what people think....do you think the bust factor of both Chriss and Bender decreases a bit because they are not alone as new young bigs in the league and have each other? If they have a tough time or get frustrated or depressed or overwhelmed or whatever (like many others have like Kwame Brown and countless others) they can talk each other up. Plus I really think Watson is much better for two young guys like this than a guy like Thibs would be. Don't get me wrong, I think Thibs is a better and a great coach, but he is not the type of guy these guys need.

I think that and Devin Booker is a young guy with great maturity and I think they'll all become good friends (Ulis too). I'm pretty sure Chriss has a greater bust percentage with other teams than with us because I think he and Watson clicked. I think we have realistic expectations for each of them and aren't going to put pressure on them, but we'll push them to become better and they'll push each other. Being drafted together, despite playing the same position, bodes well for their relationship because it means we want both of you together as opposed to drafting a guy a year later at the same position.

I don't know if someone said this already, but also from a pure basketball perspective I think both of them can bring out the best in each other. Dragan Bender has the physical tools to move up or move down to the 3 or 5, allowing both he and Marquese to feasibly share the floor (Marquese could also play the 3, but he needs a stronger handle, and as of now he definitely seems best at the 4 to space the floor and drive past slower bigs). What really seals it for me is the great passing and unselfish mentality that Bender brings. Most of the time if you bring in two top prospects at the same position and tell them to share the court, they'll both have a scorer's mentality and wind up hurting the team and each other by not playing together, but I can easily see these guys playing off of each other instead. It probably won't happen this year, but I can't wait to see Booker, Bender, and Marquese playing simultaneously. Booker and Bender are both well above the average passers for their positions, and with a pass-first PG I can just imagine the ball whipping from one side of the court to the other, with Marquese's incredible finishing ability being a constant threat.

[jcsunsfan]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wZ8HtaCv3c[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiAQeB41qmw[/youtube]

Interesting stuff from Watson about the style of play.

I might be going crazy but I buy into Watson as a coach more and more everytime I see an interview. He definitely said some really good things in that video. Especially about how the Cavs and Warriors and even Thunder at times are shaping their teams and the emphasis on small ball. His point about Ulis was also spot on and I didn't think of it that way. I can see why the players are buying in to what he is saying

His view of Bender as a rebounder and ball handler is unique. He sees Bender leading the break at times--a7-1 player taking the point on the break. Watson thinks outside the box.

[Saberestar]

Wow, I have seen two of the complete games posted above (except for the minutes that Bender is on the bench) and I am even happier with his adquisition. He plays EXTREMELY well on defense, his awareness on defense is really strange for a player of his age.

He covers a ton of ground with his length, his motor and quickness...he reminds me of Kirilenko in that regard.

He just doesn't seem a 7'1 player, his mobility is not common even for a 6'9 guy.

[oddity]

A glimpse of what could be..
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1GeNTR3D9A&app=desktop[/youtube]

LOL it's funny because I started a Suns My GM in 2k16 about a week ago and I double-diped in the draft too - just with Bender and Ingram.
Now we're just destroying everyone.

[Kabookalu]

Neutral (somewhat) opinion. I've been following that kid since he was 15 when I first noticed him at 2013 FIBA Eurobasket U-16. He averaged 10-11-4 with 2 blocks over the tournamen. His offensive role was very small cause of early-bloomers on his team. When I've first seen him, he was the skinniest yet most talented 15 year old 6'11 guy I've ever seen in person.

In 2014 at the 2014. FIBA Eurobasket U-18, he played against the competition that was a year older than him. Again with limited role on offense, he put 14-11-5 with 2 blocks per game. Croatia eventually won the bronze while Bender was elected to All-Tournament team.

You must understand that Bender went to Israel, completely new world for him, at the age of 16. He played his first season very well for Maccabi's ''farm club'' in second Israeli league. Second year was his first season in Maccabi first team and it was turbulent season for both Bender and Maccabi. Maccabi was absolutely disastrous this past season, changed the coach twice and Bender had no real role, he barely played in that awful situation. Have in mind that Maccabi is Euroleague powerhouse club and the expectations are always huge. That was no good condition for a guy that was 17/18 at the time.

At the end of the season, he got his playing time, not much but steady 15-20 minutes per game. He was very good then considering his very limited role.

Talent was never the question this last season, it was his role that was non-existent.

I also believe he will be more ready for pre-season than you expect. Also, I believe he will fascinate you once you see him on the court. I tell, this kid is something special.

So, I'm not quite sure you understand that you got yourself your own 'unicorn' in Dragan Bender. Mark my words and wait for the season to start. I'm sure you will see many glimpses of his ability already this season.

Great breakdown.

I haven't been following him nearly as much as you have, but everything I've gathered in the past year has me agreeing with your conclusions. Everyone says that Bender failing to get minutes on a bad team is indicative of how bad he is as a player, but if anything I thought it was the opposite; that team was desperate for wins and developing a teenager was the last thing on their minds, so Bender got treated like he was a scrub.

I was hoping that this all meant his draft value was tanked and he'd free fall to Toronto at 9th, but all the scouts and advanced metrics saw through the lousy situation he was in and acknowledged his talent level.

He modeled his game after his hometown hero Toni Kukoc, and just by watching a couple minutes of his highlights you can see the influence there. He's going to be amazing.

[bigfoot]

I just dug some of the stats if anyone is interested about the prior post

2013 U16 Tournament
http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_YUjW-7-FJ,kK9s431Lyr41.season_2013.roundID_9441.teamID_2168.playerID_100891.html

2014 U18 Tournament
http://www.fibaeurope.com/compID_8aYeHlfuGF-mF5IqO8aFH1.season_2014.roundID_10067.teamID_2168.playerID_100891.html

Hope he has improved his free throw shooting ... a good measure of good shooters.

[MrVince]

Here's a piece Sports Illustrated did on Dragan Bender

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqP074p5FDA&[/youtube]

[bwgood77]

Hey, really like what Suns did on draft night, you did great job IMO.

Two questions... do you think Suns will play Chriss along Bender. I think due to Chriss defensive inexperience, he could play SF to ease his transition, especially he is very athletic.

Second one, do you think will you try to go after wins, or force young players to develop and possibly get another high pick next year when there is plenty of PGs in draft.

I'd be thrilled to see
Bledsoe-Booker-Chriss-Bender-Len
starting games.

Sure, Watson has already talked that since Bender is quick defensively on the perimeter, can guard smaller guys and a good ball handler that he could play 3. Small ball maybe 4/5 depending on rebounding. But you could almost just ignore who is playing which position at forward and just guard whoever makes sense depending on matcup. Good interview by Watson a few pages back about how he will play them together. Sounds exciting.

[realEAST]

Second one, do you think will you try to go after wins, or force young players to develop and possibly get another high pick next year when there is plenty of PGs in draft.

We absolutely won't lose on purpose, that's perfectly clear, but if you ask me, i would certainly try to be near the bottom and secure a guy like Jackson, Tatum, Fultz, Giles, Smith... that look like they're capable of resurrecting the franchise and give us something that can be called sustainable development. Although i'm super pleased with draft night outcome, it's hard for me to imagine Bender or Chriss as a future franchise player(s). This class appeared mediocre from the first day, and getting anything more than a good role player from vast majority of the prospects would be pure gold. As we witnessed many times, top tier FA's and PHX don't go in the same sentence, so our best chance to be relevant (contenders) is to draft ourselves a star(s). Playing time is a must for youngsters, especially in a context of making a decision how to approach next year's draft.

Of course. Smith or Fultz would be great IMO.

Regarding Bender, I think he could develop into a very good #2 option, he is very skilled for age with a lot of room to grow, and has a very high BBIQ, so I think he can improve significantly. I doubt he'll ever be dominant scorer but is such an overall fine player who could be able to ikpact game many ways

[Djedefre]

@Bender

If he proves he can guard from 3 to 5, that alone would be huge for us. We might have problems with distributing the ball and making profit from our bigs, but defense is our biggest concern as it is.

[Jstock12]

@Bender

If he proves he can guard from 3 to 5, that alone would be huge for us. We might have problems with distributing the ball and making profit from our bigs, but defense is our biggest concern as it is.

I just can't imagine him being able to guard NBA's small forwards. Especially later on in his career, when he's going to put on some more weight.

[bwgood77]

@Bender

If he proves he can guard from 3 to 5, that alone would be huge for us. We might have problems with distributing the ball and making profit from our bigs, but defense is our biggest concern as it is.

I just can't imagine him being able to guard NBA's small forwards. Especially later on in his career, when he's going to put on some more weight.

Have you watched tape and how quick he can move around the perimeter?

[Jstock12]

@Bender

If he proves he can guard from 3 to 5, that alone would be huge for us. We might have problems with distributing the ball and making profit from our bigs, but defense is our biggest concern as it is.

I just can't imagine him being able to guard NBA's small forwards. Especially later on in his career, when he's going to put on some more weight.

Have you watched tape and how quick he can move around the perimeter?

I've watched some highlights where he's succeeded to stay with non-NBA perimeter players, yes. I'm just not sure how effective he will be at the NBA level. He will also lose some speed when he will gain weight... I don't know really. I hope he pans out for you guys though. For me as European homer, it would be amazing to have another Euro star in this league as Nowitzki/Gasol/Parker are nearing washed up status.

[Sunsss]

Bender's famous game against Sabonis and Lithuania as a 16yo in U18 tournament. (last two passes are really nice)

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vXWiiFvvmU[/youtube]

[freshmcfly]

Congratulations Suns fans on a great draft. I'll be keeping an eye out for your young team, best of luck.

[jcsunsfan]

Man. The more I see clips of Bender, the more I like. Highlights are deceptive I know, but there are still things you can discern. Made shots are nothing. Dunks don't matter alot. But how a player moves, defensive awareness, athleticism--you can see that.

[carey]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Suns/status/750442345657618433[/tweet]

Not sure if this was posted yet, but there's some footage of Bender's Suns workout in this video.

[LacosteM]

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