Phoenix Suns: 5 goals for Dragan Bender in 2017-18
4. Average 20 minutes per game
In a similar vein, simply appearing in games isn’t enough for the 19-year-old Dragan Bender. With the Suns devoted to #TheTimeline, Bender is right behind Devin Booker and Josh Jackson in terms of potential franchise pillars, and some would even argue he’s right there with them.
As a seven-footer graced with promising defensive footwork, a burgeoning 3-point stroke and emerging rim protection instincts, Bender is untapped potential personified. In order for him to find his niche in a frontcourt where he’s mostly played as a 3, been featured as a 4 and might one day actually be a 5, he needs ample minutes to figure it out.
No coincidence Bender played his best in the last two games. Needs that consistent playing time and he will be more than fine.
— Kellan Olson (@KellanOlson) July 14, 2017
In other words, the grand total of 574 minutes Bender logged as a rookie was not nearly enough. Even if he had stayed healthy, the 13.3 minutes per game he averaged last season shouldn’t fly in Year 2.
Even with Eric Bledsoe no longer shut down, expectations are low for the Suns, which means the emphasis should remain on feeding the youngsters minutes. Bender outperformed fellow sophomore Marquese Chriss in NBA Summer League, Alex Len remains unsigned, Jared Dudley is 32 and the soon-to-be 35-year-old Tyson Chandler could very well be traded in the coming months.
That leaves plenty of opportunity in the frontcourt, and with the Suns veering headfirst into the youth movement, Dragan Bender should be averaging at least 20 minutes per game this year.