Phoenix Suns: Dragan Bender can be an untraditional center
By Dan Volpone
As Dragan Bender looks to finally find his place amongst a crowded Phoenix Suns bench, a switch to center might be what he needs to succeed.
Dragan Bender has struggled mightily over his first two seasons in the league. His critics have argued he’ll never be able to produce, while his believers have pointed out that he was supposed to be raw when he was drafted so his struggles haven’t been a surprise.
This season, Bender’s going to have to prove his worth to the Suns. If his play isn’t conducive to the team winning games, he’ll find himself at the back of a very crowded bench. Bender was a potential “two years away” guy when he was drafted. His two years are up, and this will likely be his last real shot in Phoenix.
That being said, Bender still deserves that chance. And because of the Suns’ depth at the forward spots and lack thereof at center, it should come as the team’s backup five.
The biggest issue with that, though, is that Bender isn’t a center. At least not the type of center we’re accustomed to seeing in the NBA. He’s slim. He’s a pitiful rebounder. He shot just 25.6 percent from the non-restricted area of the paint last season, and he made just two shots between the paint and the three point line. He only converted three alley oops.
He also struggles mightily to get to the line for easy points, a strength of an ideal NBA center. Last year he played all 82 games and only attempted 51 free throws. As bad as that is, it’s still an improvement over the 11 he took in 43 games his rookie season.
Unfortunately, the Suns’ logjam forces them to get creative. Bender’s a four, but he’ll have a hard time finding minutes there. Assuming Josh Jackson and Trevor Ariza start, Mikal Bridges and T.J. Warren will be the first two forwards off the bench. Marquese Chriss, also in a prove-it situation, will be scrapping for minutes as well. There’s just not enough playing time to go around.
That’s why trying Bender out at center makes sense. Richaun Holmes is an energy guy who has major limitations on both sides of the ball. Tyson Chandler is unlikely to see many minutes over younger players. That means the role of Deandre Ayton‘s backup is still there for the taking.
His struggles make the experiment a long shot, but the Phoenix Suns should find Dragan Bender playing time by having him try his hand at the center spot.
Bender has a 7-2 wingspan, and he’s shown a decent knack of getting into passing lanes. With the right coaching, he can also become a competent rim protector.
At his best, he can force some turnovers and block a few shots, but he’s still not your ideal center defensively. The Suns will have to rely on perimeter defenders like Bridges and Davon Reed staying in front of their man and switching over screens to keep the other team out of the paint.
While Bender can’t hang with the likes of Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, he should be able to hold his own going against backup centers and small ball lineups. As long as he’s not going against talented scoring big men, one on one defense isn’t a huge concern.
With a focus on gang rebounding, Bender’s deficiency on the glass can be somewhat covered up, although it would come at the cost of more transition points.
Offensively, Bender can actually be a nice fit at the five. He won’t be the guy to post up or flash back and forth between the box and the elbow like a traditional center. He likely won’t do much interior scoring at all. But post ups and mid range jumpers are two of the least efficient shots in basketball, so limiting them is actually a positive.
Bender is an okay passer for a center, and at 7-1 he can see right over the defense. Dumping him the ball around the free throw line and developing his ability to make the right reads on cuts to the basket and open perimeter shooters is an interesting option for the Phoenix Suns bench offense.
Bender’s biggest strength offensively is his three point shot. He made tremendous strides last season when he was able to shoot right around league average on 3.9 attempts per game. Having a five that need’s to be guarded all the way out to the perimeter opens up lanes to the basket for slashers like Bridges and Warren, and if the defense sags, Bender is a threat to make them pay.
Dragan Bender is far from your traditional center, but he should be asked to spend some time at the five this season. This is likely his last chance, and the position change could be what he needs to finally find his niche and be a positive contributor on the Phoenix Suns.