Dragan Bender

[Mainstreet]

Just join under an assumed name if you're uncomfortable going fully public.

I will need to work on my new identity.

 

[Raze]

There's a lot of side talk on Bender, so I thought it'd be better to bump this thread and talk about him.

Count me in as one who believes in Dragan. His defensive effort and concept are solid. He is constantly altering shots or making his presence known. Shooters may get one by him but that 9'3 standing reach on an athletic guy is going to make guys think twice. Many of the average fans are going to lament his lack of rebounding, but ignore that he's playing perimeter defense on smaller forwards and guards.

Offensively his stroke has really developed. It's smooth and consistent. I really love that one time a game he's starting to drive off the pump fake and extend for a shot. By the end of the season I'm hoping he does this 3-5 times a game. He has potential to really elevate his game if he's a double threat.

He's essentially a 3-D player at this point. But he's an extremely unique one at age 20.

 

[BC867]

There's a lot of side talk on Bender, so I thought it'd be better to bump this thread and talk about him.

Count me in as one who believes in Dragan. His defensive effort and concept are solid. He is constantly altering shots or making his presence known. Shooters may get one by him but that 9'3 standing reach on an athletic guy is going to make guys think twice. Many of the average fans are going to lament his lack of rebounding, but ignore that he's playing perimeter defense on smaller forwards and guards.

Offensively his stroke has really developed. It's smooth and consistent. I really love that one time a game he's starting to drive off the pump fake and extend for a shot. By the end of the season I'm hoping he does this 3-5 times a game. He has potential to really elevate his game if he's a double threat.

He's essentially a 3-D player at this point. But he's an extremely unique one at age 20.

I just hope that he and his fans (and detractors) can put aside that he is over 7 feet tall when setting expectations. Let's just pretend that he is 6'8" (give or take) and use (and further develop) his skills to his advantage and that of the team.

It is better that he is tall for his skill set than the reverse (like the tweener Guards we've had whom we expected to run the Point because they were too short for anything else).

 

[Hoop Head]

I just hope that he and his fans (and detractors) can put aside that he is over 7 feet tall when setting expectations. Let's just pretend that he is 6'8" (give or take) and use (and further develop) his skills to his advantage and that of the team.

It is better that he is tall for his skill set than the reverse (like the tweener Guards we've had whom we expected to run the Point because they were too short for anything else).

I try to do that with Bender. He doesn't play like a 7 footer. He plays like Toni Kukoc did back with the Bulls only not as good of a scorer yet. I remember seeing Kukoc play for the first time in the early 90's I thought the Bulls were cheating or bending the rules somehow because they had a 6'10-6'11 guy playing Small Forward (I was like 8-9 years old at the time and I didn't know that anyone could play any position). That's the position he played because he didn't play like your typical 6'10 Forward at the time, think Shawn Kemp, Charles Oakley, etc. Bender is similar to that in a way. I think most people are over the idea of him being the Center of the future, which is a good thing because that pushes a certain set of skills on him that I don't believe he'll develop. He should play well with Big Sauce in the future, since he's an oversized Forward and Williams is an undersized Center.

 

[Mainstreet]

I just hope that he and his fans (and detractors) can put aside that he is over 7 feet tall when setting expectations. Let's just pretend that he is 6'8" (give or take) and use (and further develop) his skills to his advantage and that of the team.

I agree with you on this point.

It is better that he is tall for his skill set than the reverse (like the tweener Guards we've had whom we expected to run the Point because they were too short for anything else).

The Suns have not had a good distributing PG since Nash left. I don't think height has been the primary issue although the Suns certainly have had some tweeners.

 

[Cheesebeef]

I try to do that with Bender. He doesn't play like a 7 footer. He plays like Toni Kukoc did back with the Bulls only not as good of a scorer yet. I remember seeing Kukoc play for the first time in the early 90's I thought the Bulls were cheating or bending the rules somehow because they had a 6'10-6'11 guy playing Small Forward (I was like 8-9 years old at the time and I didn't know that anyone could play any position). That's the position he played because he didn't play like your typical 6'10 Forward at the time, think Shawn Kemp, Charles Oakley, etc. Bender is similar to that in a way. I think most people are over the idea of him being the Center of the future, which is a good thing because that pushes a certain set of skills on him that I don't believe he'll develop. He should play well with Big Sauce in the future, since he's an oversized Forward and Williams is an undersized Center.

Jesus... WHAT? He plays NOTHING like Kukoc. Kukoc could take his man off the dribble, and either stop short for a jumper, throw a no-look pass to someone or take it all the way to the hoop. Before he got owned by the Dream Team in 1992, they were calling the Croatian Sensation the International MJ.

Bender can shoot the three sometimes and wouldn't be deemed the MJ of even 8 foot dunk hoops. For Pete's sake, some here think Bender needs to be "taught when to jump".

Seriously, just because he's a Euro and tall and shows no kind of back to the basket game doesn't automatically make him Tony Kukoc. he literally doesn't have 70% of Kukoc's game.

The reality is we don't know WHAT Bender plays like because we've seen him show so little overall game thus far... except his "basketball IQ".

You guys are killing me with this Bender stuff. Just killing me.

 

[SirStefan32]

Jesus... WHAT? He plays NOTHING like Kukoc. Kukoc could take his man off the dribble, and either stop short for a jumper, throw a no-look pass to someone or take it all the way to the hoop. Before he got owned by the Dream Team in 1992, they were calling the Croatian Sensation the International MJ.

Bender can shoot the three sometimes and wouldn't be deemed the MJ of even 8 foot dunk hoops. For Pete's sake, some here think Bender needs to be "taught when to jump".

Seriously, just because he's a Euro and tall and shows no kind of back to the basket game doesn't automatically make him Tony Kukoc. he literally doesn't have 70% of Kukoc's game.

The reality is we don't know WHAT Bender plays like because we've seen him show so little overall game thus far... except his "basketball IQ".

You guys are killing me with this Bender stuff. Just killing me.

Kukoc did not have 70% of his own game at Bender's age. Yes, I grew up watching Kukoc playing for Jugoplastika. By the time you saw Kukoc, he was 25 years old- a finished product.

 

[Mainstreet]

Jesus... WHAT? He plays NOTHING like Kukoc. Kukoc could take his man off the dribble, and either stop short for a jumper, throw a no-look pass to someone or take it all the way to the hoop.

Bender can shoot the three sometimes.

Seriously, just because he's a Euro and tall and shows no kind of back to the basket game doesn't automatically make him Tony Kukoc. he literally doesn't have 70% of Kukoc's game.

The reality is we don't know WHAT Bender plays like because we've seen him show so little overall game thus far... except his "basketball IQ"... although some here thinks he needs to be "told when to jump".

You guys are killing me with this Bender stuff. Just killing me.

I had to comment on the "told when to jump" comment as a lot of defensive backs in football need to be told when to turn their head around on pass plays.

We need to put microphones in their ears.

I can see it now. Jump Bender, jump.

 

[Hoop Head]

Jesus... WHAT? He plays NOTHING like Kukoc. Kukoc could take his man off the dribble, and either stop short for a jumper, throw a no-look pass to someone or take it all the way to the hoop. Before he got owned by the Dream Team in 1992, they were calling the Croatian Sensation the International MJ.

Bender can shoot the three sometimes and wouldn't be deemed the MJ of even 8 foot dunk hoops. For Pete's sake, some here think Bender needs to be "taught when to jump".

Seriously, just because he's a Euro and tall and shows no kind of back to the basket game doesn't automatically make him Tony Kukoc. he literally doesn't have 70% of Kukoc's game.

The reality is we don't know WHAT Bender plays like because we've seen him show so little overall game thus far... except his "basketball IQ".

You guys are killing me with this Bender stuff. Just killing me.

Take everything so damn literal, it's ridiculous.

The reason I mentioned Kukoc is because he was the first player I recall who was a big in his size and build but didn't play like one, since he played SG & SF for the Bulls. I was likening THAT to Bender but you didn't want to read the ongoing exchange. That was it, how they were used in regards to their position. I don't think Bender should be forced into a being a Center just because he's a 7 footer and I don't think people should judge Bender as a Center because his game resembles that of a wing player more.

I briefly expanded on how I first saw Kukoc with the Bulls in that he was a wing there. I don't know how he played with his national team, I don't really care how he did there because the only reason I brought him up is because we're talking about how Bender should be judged, and I likened it to Kukoc because he was the first player that I judged incorrectly in that he was a big in size but played like a wing. They do have that in common with each other unless you want to say Bender plays like a Center similar to Chandler or Len, down low in the paint or post all the time.

I was specifically responding to BC with my comment and it was part of an ongoing exchange in regards to how Bender plays and how he should be judged but you didn't seem to pay any attention to that. You saw Bender's name with Kukoc's and flew off the handle.

 

[leclerc]

Cheesus!! if you had played basketball you would have known that shooting from a longer distance than you are used to might require some adjustments in your technique, and changing muscle memory is not so easy to do. Goodwin probably tried to be a better shooter but there was too much to learn. Bender has a good stroke and release so he should be able to make it. He's already above 35% so I think he'll be a threat. Then he can use his speed and handle to drive, but I don't know if he has any stop and pop like Toni.

 

[devilalum]

Fact:

Bad players on good teams look better than they really are.

Good players on bad teams look worse than they really are.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hcsilla]

Kukoc did not have 70% of his own game at Bender's age.

Yes, but at Bender's age Kukoc was already a top european player which means much better than Bender now.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Kukoc did not have 70% of his own game at Bender's age. Yes, I grew up watching Kukoc playing for Jugoplastika. By the time you saw Kukoc, he was 25 years old- a finished product.

Great... never said Kukoc had that game when he was Bender's age. But Poop Head didn't compare them at the same age... he just compared their games... period. And the only game Poop Head watched was as a finished product, thus the baseless comparison. Unless Poop Head was an avid watcher of Jugoplastika back in the days.

 

[SirStefan32]

Yes, but at Bender's age Kukoc was already a top european player which means much better than Bender now.

Perhaps my memory is not what it used to be, but Kukoc didn't really become a top Euro player until 1990 or so, and he was born around 67 or 68. My memory could be wrong though, as I was rather young at the time.

 

[hcsilla]

I did love Dunn before the draft and I would have taken him at #2 behind Simmons. Even having Bledsoe and Knight on the roster I did hope that the Suns will draft him.

He had a terrible rookie season in Minny.

Now he is the main reason behind CHI's resurgence and I wish he was on the Suns' roster as their future PG not the Bulls'.

 

[hcsilla]

Perhaps my memory is not what it used to be, but Kukoc didn't really become a top Euro player until 1990 or so, and he was born around 67 or 68. My memory could be wrong though, as I was rather young at the time.

Yes, Bender still might have one year or two to reach Kukoc' level of around 1990 but that's a very high bar to jump over.

 

[SirStefan32]

No doubt. It is a very high bar. The posted who brought it up was really making a point that they have similar style. I am sure we would all be thrilled if Bender came close to Kukoc level as a player. Nobody is claiming he is or that he will.

 

[leclerc]

Thanks for clarifying

 

[JCSunsfan]

The Kukic comparison seemed pretty natural to me. Extremely tall combo forward. And of course the fact that Bender has idolized Kukoc and tried to model his game after him.

I did not take it as he has reached that level. After all, Benderjust turned 20 a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Hoop Head]

I almost posted this in the Thunder thread but it's more relevant to Bender on the year. I don't want to detract from how good he was in that game by bashing him in that thread. I wanted to compare his stats this season to last year since he's clearly improved but his FG is awful. He's only shooting 36% from the field this year, he's actually shooting a higher 3pt% than FG%, which you don't see often. From 3 he's shooting 36.1 and from the field he's shooting 36.0. His 2pt FG% is only 35.9%. He needs to play inside a little more, get some shots in the paint or the post to raise his %.

Everything else has improved from last year, which is good, and his FT% is more accurate, he only shot 11 FT's last year which explains his awful percentage there but he's at 75% this year on 20 attempts. He still hasn't shot many but that has to do with the majority of his shots coming from the 3pt line also. I know him being behind the 3pt line spaces the floor better and he has driven inside this year but I'd like to see him play inside some more. Depending on Chriss' injury, he should get the chance to be on the court a bit more and hopefully get more efficient. I hope the OKC game helps his confidence because if he plays like that going forward then he was a great pick at #4 in last year's draft.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[CardsSunsDbacks]

I almost posted this in the Thunder thread but it's more relevant to Bender on the year. I don't want to detract from how good he was in that game by bashing him in that thread. I wanted to compare his stats this season to last year since he's clearly improved but his FG is awful. He's only shooting 36% from the field this year, he's actually shooting a higher 3pt% than FG%, which you don't see often. From 3 he's shooting 36.1 and from the field he's shooting 36.0. His 2pt FG% is only 35.9%. He needs to play inside a little more, get some shots in the paint or the post to raise his %.

Everything else has improved from last year, which is good, and his FT% is more accurate, he only shot 11 FT's last year which explains his awful percentage there but he's at 75% this year on 20 attempts. He still hasn't shot many but that has to do with the majority of his shots coming from the 3pt line also. I know him being behind the 3pt line spaces the floor better and he has driven inside this year but I'd like to see him play inside some more. Depending on Chriss' injury, he should get the chance to be on the court a bit more and hopefully get more efficient. I hope the OKC game helps his confidence because if he plays like that going forward then he was a great pick at #4 in last year's draft.

You must be registered for see images attach

Quite simply he doesn’t shoot the ball enough from inside the arc to draw any conclusions over his FG%. He literally averages just 1.5 2 point shots per game. I think it has more to with how he is being used as opposed to what he can do. Also when gets more confident putting the ball on the floor and attacking the basket that percentage will go up.

 

[JCSunsfan]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media

 

[Mainstreet]

@JCSunsfan

Awesome video.

If Bender adds some more muscle to fill out his body, he should be able to play inside or outside. He wants to be able to do both as his interior defense shows.

Also his passing skills makes his upside that much better.

 

[leclerc]

I was hoping for a break out game from him. Hope he builds on it instead of doing a disappearing act which is not unusual for kids his age. 19? 20?

 

[Ronin]

xc_hide_links_from_guests_guests_error_hide_media