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Have We Seen The Last Of Anthony Bennett?

By Raymond Simms

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Former No.1 overall pick Anthony Bennett begins a new chapter in Turkey. Does this already mark the end of his NBA journey?

Anthony Bennett, the first overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, has signed with Turkish hoops powerhouse Fenerbahce.

The deal was reported on Thursday by Eurohoops.net’s Nikos Varlas and confirmed by the team on Friday morning.

The signing comes after the Brooklyn Nets waived him on Jan. 9. Bennett played 23 games with the team before being cut. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during his stint with the Nets.

Anthony Bennett leaves the NBA with career averages of 4.4 points and 3.1 boards in 151 games with four separate franchises.

He currently stands as the least productive No.1 pick of the Lottery era, producing only 0.5 win shares over his four seasons in the league. That’s third-fewest among all top overall picks that have played at least one game.

In Turkey, Bennett joins a roster stocked with former NBA players. Pero Antic, Luigi Datome, James Nunnally, Ekpe Udoh, and Jan Vesely all anchor a team that sits tied for first place in the Turkish Basketball Super League at 12-2 and fifth in Euroleague play at 10-7.

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Bennett also becomes the second No. 1 overall pick to play for a Euroleague team this season. He joins 2006 selection Andrea Bargnani, who plays for Spanish side Baskonia.

With a new chapter beginning in Anthony Bennett’s eventful saga, will we ever see him return to the NBA?

Bennett entered the league with unique skills and potential. He was nimble and athletic for his size, could attack the basket well, and was a strong rebounder He averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in his single season at UNLV. At age 19, he still had plenty of potential to develop into something even greater.

That was enough for the Cleveland Cavaliers to make him the surprise top selection in 2013.

However, he just couldn’t get things going in the NBA. He struggled mightily with his jump shot throughout his career. Bennett shot 39.2 percent from the field for his career, and 26.1 percent from three. In 2016-17, he shot 27.1 percent from beyond the arc and missed all five two-point attempts he took outside of the paint.

He also struggled on defense. He was a tweener forward: smaller players routinely blew by him and bigger players were able to body him deep in the paint. Bennett conceded 109 points per 100 possessions in his NBA career.

Bennett also struggled with his weight, his effort, and even his eyesight during his time in the league. He has shown flashes of a good player over his career, but ultimately his time in the league was up when the Nets cut him on Monday.

Theoretically, it’s too soon to close the book on 23-year-old Bennett’s NBA career. Most players don’t hit their athletic primes until their late 20s. There’s still time for him to develop into a productive player.

The big question is if he is willing to? Can he develop the post skills to hang with bigger players? Will he be willing to improve his jump shot to help his teams stretch the floor? Will he develop the desire to be a smarter and more willing defender?

There’s an extended checklist of things that Bennett will have to improve if he wants to get back into the league. His effort will play a huge part in rather or not will get another call for a NBA franchise.

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The key thing to keep in mind about Anthony Bennett’s signing is that Fenerbahce will be a proving ground, not a sanctuary. This stint in Istanbul can’t be used to slowly develop his abilities. It will instead show what abilities he still has.

The Euroleague’s talent level is lower than the NBA, so maybe this will be more Bennett’s speed. But the intensity of the game is still the same. Fenerbahce plays in Europe’s top continental competition and has won multiple domestic league titles. Bennett is being added to bolster a contending team, not as a developmental prospect.

Bennett will be fine if he is able to get back to his old college self. However, continued struggles overseas will put him in the doghouse fairly quickly.

Just this season former NBAers Russ Smith of fellow Istanbul club Galatasaray and Joey Dorsey of FC Barcelona both fell victim to their respective coaches’ ire because of their on-court issues.

Bennett is already out of the league, but his time in the Euroleague will ultimately prove if we will see him in the NBA again. If he is able to find the talent and mettle to play well in the Euroleague, NBA GMs will be willing to take another flyer on him down the line.

Next: 10 NBA Teams That Should Trade For Paul Millsap

Striking out in Europe could do damage to Anthony Bennett’s professional legacy and may call for some mandatory soul-searching.