Why the Philadelphia 76ers Could Draft Dragan Bender

The Philadelphia 76ers could select Dragan Bender with their top pick and why it might not be a terrible decision.

The Philadelphia 76ers drafted Nerlens Noel in 2013, Joel Embiid in 2014, and Jahlil Okafor in 2015. All three players were the Sixers’ top pick in their draft class and all of them played center. If the Sixers fail to receive the first or second pick in the 2016 draft depriving them of the chance to add Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram, would they consider drafting Dragan Bender? There is evidence that the answer could be yes.

Sixers official Ben Falk in Israel, saw Dragan Bender hustle for 10 points, 3-for-5 FG, 2-for-2 FT.
— David Pick (@IAmDPick) December 26, 2015

The tweet above confirming the Sixers sent people to scout Bender happened several days after Jerry Colangelo was hired. During the trade dead line the Sixers were reportedly shopping Okafor and consider trading him to the Boston Celtics for the Brooklyn Nets’ draft pick, which had the fourth best chance to win the lottery.

With new President of the Sixers Bryan Colangelo’s history of drafting European big men Andrea Bargnani and Jonas Valanciunas in the lottery during his time running the Toronto Raptors, Dragan Bender could be a player he would find appealing. Since Bryan did not draft any of the Sixers current big men, he could trade Noel or Okafor for a veteran point guard, shooting guard, small forward, or draft pick without the backlash Sam Hinkie would have received if he had done the same trade.

More from Draft

I can see three realistic scenarios where the Sixers draft Bender. If the Sixers fall to third or fourth in the draft after the lottery, it’s likely they would consider Bender, because he is the best player available according to most mock drafts.

Second the Sixers could take him with the Lakers pick, if it’s the fourth pick in the draft and if Bender is still there.

The third would be the Sixers reigniting trade conversations with the Celtics and trading Okafor for the Nets’ pick. Knowing how much power Jerry Colangelo had over Sixers’ ownership and Hinkie, it seems likely that exploring possible Okafor trades was Jerry’s idea, because there is no way Jerry would allow Hinkie to do anything that could hurt the future of the team meant to be a gift to his son.

Viewing the Nets’ pick as increasing the chance to get at least one of three potentially great players instead of two, helps explain why the Sixers would consider the rumored trade. Would the Sixers drafting Bender be the terrible decision some Sixers fans feared Bryan Colangelo would make after he was hired to run their front office?

At first glance, the idea of drafting Bender is ridiculous. Bender’s height is 7’1”, he weighs 225 pounds, has a 7’2” wingspan with a 9’3” standing reach. Bender will not turn 19 until November 17, making him one of the youngest players to enter the 2016 draft.

While Bender is very young, the big man from Croatia has been getting coverage as the next great European prospect for years like Luke Winn’s 2014 article about the then 16 year-old Bender. More recent articles by Mike Smith and Derek Bodner paint a very positive picture of Bender, and all recent reports that say Bender is likely to play for the team that drafts him next season.

Despite having a center’s height, Bender is a power forward, and unlike all of the previous big men selected by Sixers in the last three drafts, Sixers’ management and coaching staff don’t have struggle to find ways to make Bender coexist with Noel, Embiid, or Okafor. In fact, in many ways Bender would be the perfect Robin to Noel, Embiid, or Okafor’s Batman.

This video does a great example of showing how Bender’s abilities could work along side the Sixers’ other big men. While his stats playing for Israeli team Maccabi Tel Aviv is mostly worthless in telling what type of player he is due to limited playing (he’s only recently been playing at least ten minutes per game and before he was only playing four), what stood out most to me was how fast Bender is running up and down the court. I have heard he has the ability to defend power forwards that like to take mid-to-three point ranged jump shots, but he appears to have Noel’s ability to switch on a smaller usually faster player on a pick and roll and do a great job defending him.

Bender’s skinny frame and lack of good post moves might limit him on other teams, but on the Sixers, he would be the fit perfectly next to Okafor or Embiid. Both players work best in the post on offense and defense, and Bender’s ability to guard the perimeter on defense and shoot threes on offense would bring the best out of both center. While the Noel and Bender lineup would likely struggle to get rebounds due to both players being under weight for their positions, over time it could work.

There is issue the obvious issue of the Sixers already having a Croatian born power forward in Dario Saric who is expected to join the Sixers next season. Drafting Bender after already having Saric would basically be a repeat of drafting Embiid after Noel. The Sixers already have a player that plays the potential draftee’s position and possibly at an elite level at one side of the ball.

Saric will instantly provide everything Bender can currently do offensively, but better. Bender could someday become as good or better than Saric on offense, but it would take years. The biggest advantage Bender has over Saric is athleticism. Saric’s below average athleticism limits his defensive potential, while Bender’s above average athleticism could allow him to become one of the best defenders in the league.

Next: Plenty of Reasons For Sixers Optimism Heading Into Draft

I have joked that Bryan Colangelo drafting Bender could be a worst case scenario, but I no longer feel that way. As someone that still wishes the Sixers drafted Kristaps Porzingis over Okafor, I like the idea of taking Bender with the Lakers’ pick over Kris Dunn or Buddy Hield and would be okay with trading Noel or Okafor for him. While it’s still unlikely the Sixers draft Bender, the possible of them doing it, is no longer unrealistic.