NBA Draft: Dragan Bender Philadelphia 76ers Prospect Watch
By Josh Wilson
Dragan Bender falls in the top 5 of most NBA Draft big boards. Will he find himself as a Philadelphia 76ers player next season?
Croatia gave the Philadelphia 76ers Dario Saric, will it give them yet another high-level draft prospect in Dragan Bender? The general consensus is no, since Bender functions as a power forward, and the Sixers already have a ton of those.
Still, with Bender falling likely in the first 5 picks of this year’s NBA Draft, the Sixers could have a few chances to pick him, and if they’re drafting with a “best available” mentality, he may end up on their roster. They could do this with the intention of trading him to a team that could actually use him.
If the Sixers (or any NBA team) were looking for a stetch-4 though — and it looks like they may have one in his Croatian buddy, Saric — Bender could be a nice addition.
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- Height: 7’1″
- Weight: 225 pounds
- Wingspan: 7’2″
International Resume
Bender started playing pro basketball when he was just 15 years old. Granted, it was in Croatia, and it was not the best Croatian league. Say what you will about international basketball, but most American teenagers are not even able to work at most McDonald’s when they are 15 years old. Since playing in Croatia, Bender has also appeared for a league in Israel.
Bender was called up to play for the Croatian national team for the FIBA tournament, but a deal he had in place with Adidas prevented him from doing so because the team wore Jordan brand shoes and clothing.
Although he’s been in the pros for a few years, his sample size is still pretty small. In his most recent season in Israel, he was averaging 9.7 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists.
He seems to be too skinny to be a powerhouse of a power forward, but can stretch the floor nicely with some decent range ability on his shots.
Experts’ projection
It’s worth noting that every projection had Bender going wherever they projected the Phoenix Suns pick to go except for NBADraft.net.
Where will Bender be drafted?
Although a lot of expert outlets have Bender ranked in the third or fourth spot in mock drafts (the Suns or Boston Celtics projected pick), I don’t think that’s where Bender will end up going. There’s still a hesitation with international players just because of the unknown of how their skills will transfer to the high athleticism of the NBA, so I think a few teams will pass on Bender despite how good he seems to be.
He could be a good fit for the Suns, so seeing him drafted there wouldn’t completely surprise me, even if they hold the third pick.
Bender will fall to fifth or sixth. The Sixers could certainly have a pick in this range, and it would be surprising — and quite devastating — to see them not have a pick before the fifth overall.
Fit with Sixers?
Bender does not fit well at all with the Sixers. Although it’s likely the Sixers will have an opportunity to pick Bender, they should definitely not pick him up unless they have a very good trade lined up for him with another team who really wants Bender.
If the Sixers draft Bender, they will be stuck with yet another international player who may not succeed in the NBA, and one that seems to be quite similar to Saric, who they already own the rights to. It really just seems silly to consider drafting Bender, although he does seem to be set up to have a solid NBA future.
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It would be cool to have Bender as a Sixer, but the need is not even one that can be remotely made up as existent for him.