2016 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Dragan Bender

With the 2016 NBA Draft not too far away, here’s a look at Dragan Bender’s scouting report.

Even though he hasn’t played a single minute of basketball in the United States, scouts and fans of the game know Dragan Bender is worthy of a top pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.

International prospects aren’t guaranteed success in the NBA, as the game overseas is played differently than stateside.

But once in a while rare talents emerge and make a name for themselves. Some even go on to become greats like Dirk Nowitzki or Tony Parker.

Last year Kristaps Porzingis found himself going fourth overall to the New York Knicks despite having limited exposure. He soon proved why he was worth the risk and finished his rookie year as one of the most productive young players in the league.

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Bender will look to do the same and have an impact like Porzingis in the post. Standing at 7’1″ Bender has the size and length to overwhelm smaller 4s. His athleticism gives him an advantage over other big men because he has the quickness and first step to get around defenders and explode to the rim for an easy look.

His handle and awareness on offense are impressive for someone his age, but what scouts love the most about him is his shooting prowess.

Anyone who stands as tall as he does and has three-point shooting range is immediately an attractive option because of the emphasis put on perimeter scoring today. Bender can stroke it from deep as well as any of his peers and that, combined with his knack for getting to the rim off the dribble, makes him an intriguing talent to keep an eye on.

While his frame isn’t anywhere close to filled out and he appears to need a lot of sessions in the weight room, Bender dives after loose balls and chases down rebounds that some players wouldn’t want to go after.

His effort is something that sets him apart from other prospects in this draft class. He will run and fight for the ball until he doesn’t have anything left, and teams always want competitors like that suiting up for them.

Defensively he has the length to alter and block shots, but his lateral quickness allows him to switch and help his teammates like few 7-footers can. Some scouts have even said he has the potential to guard small forwards because of how quick he is.

Whether he’s actually able to handle guards and 3s for an extended period is still a mystery, but if it’s true then his draft stock increases dramatically (and he’s already likely a top-5 pick).

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His main weaknesses at this point have to do with the aforementioned lack of strength. Porzingis was two inches taller coming into the league so he had an easier time adjusting to the physicality of the game because he could rely solely on his length for the first few months of the season.

Bender is still a giant compared to some power forwards but lankier guys tend to get moved around in the post more often than not. If the team who drafts him is willing to patiently wait for him to develop a post game and add necessary muscle to spend a majority of his time down low, then they’ll end up happy with their selection.

But if they’re looking for someone who has the inside-outside game figured out, then it’s smarter to look elsewhere. Bender can run the floor and shoot from deep, but he lacks any kind of back-to-the-basket game on offense.

Even though offenses built around throwing the ball into the post aren’t as popular anymore, it’s still important to have that kind of threat in a small ball lineup where Bender would most certainly play at center.

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Versatility is more important than ever in the NBA, and while Bender has a bright future he’s far from being the complete player he’s capable of becoming.

Still, his size and athleticism along with his marksmanship from deep warrant a high draft pick in this year’s field.