Valley of the Suns
Fansided

Imagine DeAndre Ayton and Dragan Bender together

By Adam Maynes

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 10: Dragan Bender #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 10, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 10: Dragan Bender #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 10, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Imagine this: the Phoenix Suns open the season with a starting front court of DeAndre Ayton and Dragan Bender. This might be exactly what they need to do.

CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 10: Dragan Bender #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 10, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 10: Dragan Bender #35 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket during the game against the Charlotte Hornets on March 10, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /

While many Phoenix Suns fans are still hooked on the idea of the team trading back into the top-ten (after selecting DeAndre Ayton first overall, of course) and drafting another big such as Marvin Bagley, Mohamed Bamba, Jaren Jackson, or Michael Porter Jr.

And as exciting as that prospect can be (as Barney Stinson so aptly put it, “newer is always better,”) the difficultly level and cost will both be high, and the chances, very slim.

What Phoenix would be looking for would be a scoring stretch-four who can shoot 3’s and play defense.

At the moment, the Suns technically have two of those guys in Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender, although one of the two stands out above the other for a couple of very specific reasons.

Before I get into exactly why and how Bender as the team’s starting power forward would be so successful, I do want to point out why I’m not writing this piece about Marquese Chriss.

This is a complete hunch, but I have a feeling that no matter what happens in the draft, next year’s opening night roster will not have both Chriss and Bender. I think that in the wheeling and dealing that Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough will be doing this offseason, at least one will be moved, and I believe that Chriss is the most likely candidate.

Why, specifically, is because I think that he is actually a little bit farther along in his game as a scorer, and his athletic ability is off the charts. While he is not the passer not shooter that Bender is, I believe that general managers and coaches around the league, especially those drafting in the lottery who aren’t able to get their hands on one of the newer bigs in the draft, will look to fill a hole at power forward with someone of comparable ability.

Plus, if those teams have a veteran player or two that would make the Suns better right away, a trade can and will be consummated.

So therefore, if the circumstance is that Chriss is traded and Bender is retained (and the Suns do not  trade up to select Bagley), then the door is open for Dragan Bender to sidle right into the starting power forward spot, and place himself next to DeAndre Ayton for many years to come.

Here’s why that is so exciting:

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