Milwaukee Bucks: 3 candidates for a breakout season in 2019-20

1. Dragan Bender

The state of the Phoenix Suns‘ front office for the past five-plus years hasn’t been great, to say the least. Selecting Croatian big man Dragan Bender with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft appears to have been a reach of epic proportions. Turning just 22 years old this November, though, there’s still plenty of time for the seven-footer to figure things out.

While both his games played and minutes per contest took a dip last season, Bender drastically improved his efficiency. Shooting a career-best 44.7 percent from the field after posting percentages of 35.4 and 38.6, the ball began to find the bottom of the net with more regularity. The fact that Bender managed to increase his overall efficiency despite seeing his 3-point percentage fall to 21.8 last season bodes well for his overall offensive game moving forward.

The word that is likely brought up the most frequently when discussing Bender is project. On defense, that couldn’t ring truer. Possessing a 7’2″ wingspan and the mobility to rotate to the rim on defense, Bender has the potential to become a decent overall defender. Having a renowned rim protector in Brook Lopez working with him could do wonders for his long-term defensive profile.

On a two-year, partially-guaranteed contract with the pressure of accelerating a rebuild no longer resting on his shoulders, Bender has the opportunity to resurrect his young career. If there’s a time to hit the reset button, it’s now.

A limited role may be what’s best for his growth at this point. Working under one of the best coaching staffs in the league from a developmental standpoint, perhaps the Croatian Sensation can turn things around with the Milwaukee Bucks.