NBA Draft Rumors: Celtics May Pick and Welcome Dragan Bender in Team

By Jenn Loro - 23 May '16 13:34PM

Boston Celtics got the third overall pick during the NBA draft lottery via Brooklyn Nets. Some analysts point out that the team should trade their No. 3 pick to get a better deal for their roster. Should the team decide to keep their pick, the Croatian-born Dragan Bender is quite an interesting option.

It's not just the Celtics who went all the way to Israel to watch Bender play. The Suns went there for a sneak preview of the draft prospect too. Bender is currently signed in to play for Maccabi Tel Aviv and a number of online media sports outfits suggest that Boston seems to have a very positive opinion of the towering Croatian.

In this year's draft, two players are clearly on top of everybody's wish list- LSU's Ben Simmons and Duke's Brandon Ingram. Of course, Philadelphia 76ers are likely to draft Ben Simmons for their No.1 pick. The LA Lakers could also choose to settle for Brandon Ingram for their No. 2 overall pick. This leaves Boston Celtics with the next tier of players to select from including Kris Dunn, Jamal Murray, Buddy Hield, and Dragan Bender.

If Celtics decide to draft a big man in its roster, Bender's potential at 7'1" and 225 lbs. is undeniable enormous despite his limited experience at professional basketball. The 18-year-old Croatian has only played 26 games Maccabi Tel Aviv in the 2015-16 Israel Super Basketball League regular season and averaged 13.7 points per game, NESN reported.

But if Boston manages to shape him up to his best, they might get the most out of the 7'1" power forward armed with NBA-tailored skill set. According to SB Nation, he possesses projectable qualities like shooting range, passing vision, and defensive versatility.

Already, other analysts from various sports media groups have been drawing comparisons between draft prospect Dragan Bender and New York Knicks up-and-coming star Kristaps Porzingis. They seem to have similarities in terms of body built, mobility, athleticism that big men rarely have, and decent shooting skills from beyond the arc.

As expected, other NBA pundits seriously disagree. Of course, Kristaps Porzingis already has a more elevated gameplay since the time he was drafted. However, some say that Bender has more upside than Porzingis if they were both draftees at a young age. He's probably way ahead than most in his draft class this year.

"Dragan is more advanced at his age than Kristaps Porzingis was when he was 18," remarked an unnamed veteran NBA scout as per Yibada. "Dragan has great length, and he can block shots. He can run the floor, and his ability to finish at the rim is exceptional. His shot is getting better all the time. On defense, he has the ability to guard the 4 or the 5. He needs to gain weight and strength, but his potential is jaw-dropping."