carey wrote:JMac1 wrote: If they can understand why someone is ranked top 5 by just about every SCOUT but some people here can't, then that means they are more informed. If someone provides you information and you are unable to interpret it correctly, that leaves you less informed. The last part of your statement is irrelevant. My point is many posters here act as if Brown has nothing to offer and he does and the Celts fans are having a conversation about what he provides and they are not giving eachother grief for stating positive things about him.
It should be something like "I can see why we might draft Brown, but I prefer...because." Not "your comparisons are obnoxious." Just sayin.
I guess consider me less informed then. I've seen the stats, read the articles, watched the highlights and I can't figure out why he's ranked so high. I feel like I've said this ad nauseam, but all he has at an elite level is athleticism. It's a fantastic thing to have but it isn't a basketball skill. Does he have other skills? Yes, but none are at an elite level. Your rebuttal will likely be that Bender doesn't either. I'd probably say something about his passing or that he defends at an elite level for his age because he's 7-feet tall and closes out on perimeter shooters like it's nothing. That said you'd be right. However, I'm probably picking the 7 footer that runs the floor like a gazelle over the 6' 7" guy that bowls his way down the floor 9 times out of 10. All I can really say right now is that we won't know who is right for a few years. I always root for guys to succeed (unless your last name is Horry or Morris) so in the end I hope we are both right and they both become stellar NBA players.
Edit: I forgot to say that I never root for Chris Paul. It's an important clarification because I hate him and the schadenfreude of watching him fail brings me great joy.
Son do you smoke crack? Bender is my guy!
I was just going to post this in the draft thread from BSOTS
DX recently updated their info on Bender, and it just gets more and more enticing to imagine him in a Suns uniform.
On Bender's lack of playing time this past season:
Bender was not in an optimal place for development, as Maccabi Tel Aviv (fresh off losing the Israel league championship last June) struggled through another tumultuous season, again missing out on an Israeli league championship with another semifinal loss. The storied franchise missed the Euroleague Top-16 for the first time in club history, while replacing their head coach mid-season, which hardly solved their problems.
You guys need to understand what David Blatt recently said about coaching in the NBA versus coaching overseas. He said that overseas is a coach's league while the NBA is a players' league. Coaches play veteran players that have been with them for years over 18 year olds just promoted from a lower level, no matter how talented that younger player might be. They are paid to win, and given the reigns to run the roster the way they see fit. Blatt recently took a two-year coaching job in Turkey after being fired from the Cavaliers despite leading them to the East's best record at the time.
Back to DX.
On Bender's defensive skills:
If Bender were limited to a seven footer [who can] block an occasional shot, he'd still have quite a bit of intrigue, even if he might be a little underwhelming as a top prospect. What sets Bender apart is how well he moves his feet on the perimeter, something that is almost unheard of for a player his size. Because of Bender's underdeveloped frame, he struggled mightily to defend post-up players, despite the size advantage he enjoyed most nights. This caused Maccabi to place him on a perimeter player more often than you would typically see for a seven footer. To Bender's credit, he was able to hold his own.
On where Bender fits in the NBA:
This combination of surprising perimeter mobility, length, and knowledge of how to play the angles and deny dribble penetration could come in handy in the NBA, where defensive versatility and the ability to switch ball screens have become a virtual prerequisite for the modern big man. Bender's unique combination of size, length, and mobility could become a real competitive advantage for a team, particularly as he continues to fill into his frame.
Brown is our contingency plan IMO.
Thanks for humoring me....
