Dragan Bender was a mystery prospect in the 2016 NBA Draft. His tall frame and outside touch made a very unique combination. However, he was unable to perform like the fourth overall pick he was.
It was a poor first year for Bender. He seemed out of place on the court. Never being able to find his spot helped lead to poor shooting and little to no playing time. Bender shot an abysmal 35.4% from the field and only averaged 3.4 points in 13.3 minutes in 43 games played.
However it wasn’t all bad, at times Bender showed flashes of great potential. Quite a few times during the season Bender was able to move very effectively in the pick and roll. Due to his slim frame, Bender can slip in between defenders very effectively. He has shown glimpses of his outside touch, draining multiple threes in six games. With his ability to hit long range shots, he draws larger defenders to the perimeter, leaving the paint more open for a drive to the basket.
Summary
Bender seemed like your typical confused rookie in his first year. While he did show promise with some aspects of his game, he did not do enough to become a fixture in the regular rotation, and his unfortunate ankle injury further prevented extended playing time when the veterans were all resting while the young guns took the court. His three-point shooting was a blessing at times. However he camped on the perimeter far too often, evidenced by shooting four to seven three-point shots in several games while only making one. He was also unable to body any defender, (this will be fixed as he gains weight and muscle) leading to a lot of easy buckets by his opponent while at or near the paint.
At times Bender even looked like he had never been on a basketball court. He moved like he was unsure where anything was, and looked really out of place. The few times he did go inside and draw a the foul, the opposing team celebrated, as he only shot 36.4% from the charity stripe. Andre Drummond shot better than that and he is arguably the worst free throw shooter in the game. Only time will tell if Bender can develop into a solid player, but for now, he is a liability on the court and should stay off until he improves.