Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender struggles to stand out in FIBA
After a disappointing rookie season, it was hoped that Phoenix Suns’ Dragan Bender would stand out in FIBA, however hopes do not always get realized.
Dragan Bender had big expectations after being drafted fourth overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns. However, the European big man played just a little more than half a season worth of games and disappointed in those game. It was hoped that Bender could show improvement this summer. When playing in FIBA for his home country of Croatia this offseason, he had a chance to show consistent growth across the board and sadly he disappointed in that regard.
The Negatives
During this round of FIBA, Bender averaged 4.3 points while shooting 47.8 from the field, 33.3 percent from the arc and didn’t make any of his free throws. He also averaged two rebounds, one assist, 0.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He did this while playing 15.4 minutes per game.
Overall, it is a disappointing outing for the former first round pick of the Phoenix Suns. In 15 minutes per game, one would hope that a big man can average minimum six points per game and 3 rebounds per game. Personally, I have a rule when gauging if a big man is an efficient scorer. He has to shoot at least 50 percent from the floor. Bender did not do that and it shows he needs to work on his offensive consistency. The low numbers in hustle stats, like rebounds and steals, are concerning as well.
To be fair to Bender, he did have to play behind another young big name Croatian power forward in Dario Saric. Saric is older and much more developed than Bender at this point in their careers.
| Rk | Player | G | GS | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dragan Bender | 43 | 0 | .354 | .277 | .483 | .364 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 6.5 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 1.4 | 2.0 | 4.6 | 9.2 |
| 2 | Dario Saric | 81 | 36 | .411 | .311 | .469 | .782 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 8.7 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 3.1 | 2.7 | 17.6 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 9/17/2017.
Based on their NBA per 36 stats, Saric is clearly the better player and during this Euro FIBA tournament he averaged about 32 minutes a game where as Bender only saw the floor for about 15 minutes per game. Even with the lack of playing time, Bender should have been able to make a bigger impact while on the floor.
The Positives
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Fans should not be completely down on Bender after his FIBA performance, because there are a couple of positives to take away from his play. The 1.2 blocks per game was a pretty good positive. It is a major improvement of 0.5 blocks a game that he averaged in 13.3 minutes for the Phoenix Suns last season. This could be an indication that he is improving his ability to read defenses.
Certain aspects of his shooting showed improvement in FIBA from his first season with the Suns. He shot 33.3 percent from the 3-point land during the tournament, where as he shot 27.7 percent from deep with the Suns. He also improved in his shooting percent with two point field goals. During this past FIBA competition, he shot 63.6 percent in 2-point shots which is much better than his 48.3 percent with his NBA team.
When Bender got an opportunity for big playing time, he did not disappoint. When Croatia was blowing out Czech Republic Bender, got to play 28 minutes. During those 28 minutes Bender had 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists, one steal, and two blocks. He also shot 66.7 percent from the field and 100 percent from deep. The point total is modest for 28 minutes of play, but he was able to fill the stat sheet in other areas.
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Even with some positives, it is clear that Bender still disappointed in a majority of statistical categories. His produced modest numbers at best and it would have been nice if he could have pushed Saric for more playing time. He still has areas which he needs to improve upon. The Phoenix Suns and fans probably should not expect a huge jump from Bender this upcoming season.