In his current league, Israeli-BSL, over 25 games Bender has averaged 13.6 minutes, 5.48 points, 2.68 rebounds. Bender is shooting 47.9% FG, 41.1% 3PT & 73.3% FT over those 25 games.
On a per-minute basis, pretty similar numbers to Porzingis at the same age, though with better 3PT & FT shooting percentages.
Yet Prozingas earned more minutes and Bender does not. Love you comparing minutes he does not play, and was not good enough to play. It really backs up your argument.
Some statements have been thrown down earlier in this thread to the extent that Bender is being criticized for not getting minutes despite playing on a crappy team in a crappy league. Israeli-BSL is not at the same level as Spanish-ACB, but it is a fairly strong professional league. It has a few former NBA players scattered about on rosters (Nate Robinson is playing on the Hapoel Tel Aviv team). Bender's team, Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv is currently 22-9, so they are not a crappy team and they are playing to win games. His team's roster is dominated by veterans mostly between ages 25-32. So he is basically a baby teenager on that roster
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Cream rises to the top, he would play there if good enough. He is 18, when last I looked that is a man.
As I've said elsewhere, I don't know enough about Bender to assert that Danny should take him with the BKN pick or not. I am just trying to cut through the noise that people who also clearly don't know much about him keep spewing about. I'll trust Danny will do his best to properly scout and vet Bender and all the other players as well.
Your twisting per minute stats to line him up with Porzingas. All I posted were his actual stats not some projection of minutes that he is not playing. Danny drafts guys usually with proven track records not some guy who was sitting on the pine. This kid will have to have more than a good workout, he will have to dominate the workout and he will be playing against other hungry guys who are going to bang on his fragile 216 lb frame. I wish him good luck, he will need it.
I am all for taking him to trade to Divac who loves him for DMC. Bender will never be as good as Counsins. I wager.
Here are Counsins stats at 18 at UK, I might add that this is US college which had a nice record in international play.
15.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 1.0 APG 1.8 BPG 56% FG 23.5 MPG
http://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/demarcus-cousins-1.htmlWas he a teenager too? Or does it just apply to Bender.