Dragan Bender

[JCSunsfan]

The most interesting take-away for me there is that the "experts" thought that Chriss had just as much potential to spread the floor as Bender did. I always thought that also, but somehow this board decided that Bender was going to be the shooter. Even now, the myth persists that Chriss (assuming he had panned out) would have been a poor fit with Ayton, which is nonsense.

McD is the one who mentioned the "poor fit" issue first, not us.

 

[AzStevenCal]

McD is the one who mentioned the "poor fit" issue first, not us.

Yes he did but I think he might have been trying to be nice. I don't really see the fit problem. If Chriss played up to his gifts, I see no reason he couldn't be an effective stretch 4 which should fit right in with what we need next to Ayton. I think "the fit" is a euphemism for whatever mental snap he had that led to his offseason weight game, his in season inability to get back into shape and his fight with the strength and conditioning coach.

 

[Hoop Head]

Yes he did but I think he might have been trying to be nice. I don't really see the fit problem. If Chriss played up to his gifts, I see no reason he couldn't be an effective stretch 4 which should fit right in with what we need next to Ayton. I think "the fit" is a euphemism for whatever mental snap he had that led to his offseason weight game, his in season inability to get back into shape and his fight with the strength and conditioning coach.

I think there is something to his Summer League nonsense this year. That was too weird to not be considered. The Suns said that they wanted him to work with his people in Oregon, where he was already. It might have been Washington, it was in the pacific northwest though. Then he just showed up at the 2nd Summer League game and it seemed to surprise everyone, Suns and Bordow included. He had an entourage with him as well. Wouldn't surprise me to learn that was the last straw. Not so much missing SL, saying he was working out with qualified people that the team trusted and then being in Vegas anyway. He needed those games, just as bad as Bender.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The most interesting take-away for me there is that the "experts" thought that Chriss had just as much potential to spread the floor as Bender did. I always thought that also, but somehow this board decided that Bender was going to be the shooter. Even now, the myth persists that Chriss (assuming he had panned out) would have been a poor fit with Ayton, which is nonsense.

I also think they just decided that Chriss was not worth his salary. The are probably there with Bender too. It might be that Chriss got traded because he is the only one they could trade, not because they valued him less.

 

[Hoop Head]

I also think they just decided that Chriss was not worth his salary. The are probably there with Bender too. It might be that Chriss got traded because he is the only one they could trade, not because they valued him less.

I think the Chriss/Bender experiment wasn't worth their combined salary. Cutting that in half and allowing the remaining class of 2016 PF that we have play the combined minutes that they split before sounds more reasonable. I'm not sold on Bender getting that much time but I'm ok with him getting the time Chriss would have seen this upcoming season and at half the cost, it's much more manageable. Combined they cost something like 11.5 million, I think, next season and that's just too much for 2 guys who don't add up to 1 competent PF.

 

[JCSunsfan]

If Bender doesn't improve soon, they won't pick up his option. He will end up just like Okafor of Len last year. That's another $6 million they could spend in free agency next summer. Let's face it. Right now, would you sign him for a two year $12 million deal going into next summer's free agency?

Bender will be a lame duck in three weeks if he is not included in a trade.

 

[Yuma]

If Bender doesn't improve soon, they won't pick up his option. He will end up just like Okafor of Len last year. That's another $6 million they could spend in free agency next summer. Let's face it. Right now, would you sign him for a two year $12 million deal going into next summer's free agency?

Bender will be a lame duck in three weeks if he is not included in a trade.

He won't get anywhere near $12 million the way he is playing now. I was hopeful Igor and this new system would help him out. I am not making fun of him when I say he really should see a sports psychologist. It's obvious he is thinking of too many things at a time out there. He needs to get back to one thing at a time. Go to spot, run play to this spot, first catch ball, read player on me, shoot or pass. Right now he's running down court trying to think of what he should do while a pass is thrown to him and he's not ready so he drops it. I think he's way too distracted.

 

[GatorAZ]

He didn’t even play for his team in the EuroLeague and was a top-5 pick. How crazy does that sound two years later?

 

[JCSunsfan]

He won't get anywhere near $12 million the way he is playing now. I was hopeful Igor and this new system would help him out. I am not making fun of him when I say he really should see a sports psychologist. It's obvious he is thinking of too many things at a time out there. He needs to get back to one thing at a time. Go to spot, run play to this spot, first catch ball, read player on me, shoot or pass. Right now he's running down court trying to think of what he should do while a pass is thrown to him and he's not ready so he drops it. I think he's way too distracted.

You missed my point. The $12 million (over two years, 6 a year) is what he WILL get from us if we pick up his option by Oct 31. If we did not do it for Len, I cannot see doing it for Bender.

The bright side of not picking up his option is that we will have $6 million more to work with in free agency next summer. He also could be valuable as a $6 million expiring in a trade. If we decline his rookie option and then trade him as an expiring, we technically are not eating into the cap space we had planned for next summer anyway.

Based upon his present production, this is the more likely scenario. This decision has probably already been made. Bender would have to make dramatic changes in a very short period of time to get the Suns to pick up his option.

 

[Yuma]

You missed my point. The $12 million (over two years, 6 a year) is what he WILL get from us if we pick up his option by Oct 31. If we did not do it for Len, I cannot see doing it for Bender.

The bright side of not picking up his option is that we will have $6 million more to work with in free agency next summer. He also could be valuable as a $6 million expiring in a trade. If we decline his rookie option and then trade him as an expiring, we technically are not eating into the cap space we had planned for next summer anyway.

Based upon his present production, this is the more likely scenario. This decision has probably already been made. Bender would have to make dramatic changes in a very short period of time to get the Suns to pick up his option.

I am not seeing that option unless he really starts getting it this season.

 

[sunsfan88]

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I’d be somewhat surprised if they pick up his option for the ‘19-20 season.

 

[slinslin]

Chriss is a much worse shooter from 3 than Bender. I don't care what the stats say but Bender's threes are usually close whereas Chriss' are all over the place.

You cant be freaking serious, Bender has to lead the league in airballs. He misses badly all the time, he airballed like 3 layups/close range shots last year.

Benders 3pt% from last year is super generous, he is way worse shooter than that. No solid 36% 3pt shooter shoots bricks like that.

 

[Hoop Head]

Benders 3pt% from last year is super generous, he is way worse shooter than that. No solid 36% 3pt shooter shoots bricks like that.

You can't cast stats aside when they don't support your agenda and then bring them up to try and discredit someone else's opinion. Saying stats should be cast aside because they don't make him as bad as you would like him to be is clearly showing your bias. Whenever someone brought up stats to point out Chriss was awful you threw a fit.

Bender is a good 3 pt shooting big but that is all he does on offense. Everyone knows he'll either pass it or wait too long to take a shot. When he catches and shoots it without thinking he's good and his 3pt shooting stats show that. It's ok to say he can do one thing, no one will mistake it as you standing up for Bender.

 

[Superbone]

You cant be freaking serious, Bender has to lead the league in airballs. He misses badly all the time, he airballed like 3 layups/close range shots last year.

Benders 3pt% from last year is super generous, he is way worse shooter than that. No solid 36% 3pt shooter shoots bricks like that.

I am very serious. Bender misses his 3s short or long. Chriss' 3s can be left, right, short, long, you name it. I actually watched every game last year.

 

[Phrazbit]

Chriss is better than Bender, it's not even close at this point.

 

[Finito]

Horrible draft but hey who knows if Bender and Chriss turn out to be studs then maybe we win more games and don't get Ayton,

But that draft wasn't that great anyway some solid players but no real stars outside of Simmons

 

[JCSunsfan]

Horrible draft but hey who knows if Bender and Chriss turn out to be studs then maybe we win more games and don't get Ayton,

But that draft wasn't that great anyway some solid players but no real stars outside of Simmons

One of the basic truths of the NBA is that if you are going to get good by being bad, the only way to do it is be bad long enough to get lucky.

I think the main lesson is not to draft 18 year old Euros with little tape to watch. We have to pick up his option and he is still only 20. Bender should have been in the draft this year, not two years ago. He was too young to make that transition.

 

[AzStevenCal]

One of the basic truths of the NBA is that if you are going to get good by being bad, the only way to do it is be bad long enough to get lucky.

I think the main lesson is not to draft 18 year old Euros with little tape to watch. We have to pick up his option and he is still only 20. Bender should have been in the draft this year, not two years ago. He was too young to make that transition.

I would agree with this but I'd say it's just as important to avoid homegrown projects. Chriss, Bender and even Len were all raw enough to cause doubt come extension time. But we're all looking for the next Giannis and we overlook how rarely that kind of raw and fully untapped potential blossoms during that first contract.

 

[slinslin]

I am very serious. Bender misses his 3s short or long. Chriss' 3s can be left, right, short, long, you name it. I actually watched every game last year.

this is quiet possibly the worst statement I have read about the Suns in years.

 

[slinslin]

You can't cast stats aside when they don't support your agenda and then bring them up to try and discredit someone else's opinion. Saying stats should be cast aside because they don't make him as bad as you would like him to be is clearly showing your bias. Whenever someone brought up stats to point out Chriss was awful you threw a fit.

Bender is a good 3 pt shooting big but that is all he does on offense. Everyone knows he'll either pass it or wait too long to take a shot. When he catches and shoots it without thinking he's good and his 3pt shooting stats show that. It's ok to say he can do one thing, no one will mistake it as you standing up for Bender.

If you take away Benders outlier games his percentages plummet. He will go 0-3 and 1-4 for 10 games and then go 6-8 in one game.

 

[Finito]

The Alex Len draft was even worse hell the guy I wanted was Nerlens Noel and he sucks to.

It's what makes Luca so rare he's not that euro mystery guy he's the star of the league over there at 19 the MVP. That's freakiesh

 

[slinslin]

The Alex Len draft was even worse hell the guy I wanted was Nerlens Noel and he sucks to.

It's what makes Luca so rare he's not that euro mystery guy he's the star of the league over there at 19 the MVP. That's freakiesh

What has Luka Doncic to do with this?

There are tons of Euro prospect who did well in the leagues and still did not do anything in the NBA.

It is not that simple.

Bender however was a third stringer at a medciore European team and barely played and if he played he did not play well.

There was literally zero reason to pick him in the lottery except for manufactured hype in the US media.

 

[Phrazbit]

this is quiet possibly the worst statement I have read about the Suns in years.

I gotta admit, it's pretty funny, arguing about who's misses are uglier.

Bender actually is a better 3pt shooter... but I've also never seen anyone airball as many shots from 4-8 feet as Bender or pass up so many easy looks in favor of passing to a covered teammate.

Chriss isn't particularly good at anything. He's basically a sub par player in every respect. Bender is a decent 3 point shooter (when he has the balls to actually shoot) and a full on disaster at virtually everything else. Outside of Bender, I've only seen Beasley do as many things that I would qualify as "embarrassing" in during recent Suns seasons.

 

[JCSunsfan]

The Alex Len draft was even worse hell the guy I wanted was Nerlens Noel and he sucks to.

It's what makes Luca so rare he's not that euro mystery guy he's the star of the league over there at 19 the MVP. That's freakiesh

I wanted McLemore. So. Theres that.

 

[Raze]

I wanted McLemore. So. Theres that.

Ditto for me. I just relooked at both their stats. Yeah, that was depressing.