Dragan Bender, Phoenix Suns (2016)
Advertisement
Advertisement
With the first of their two top-10 picks in the 2016 NBA Draft, the Phoenix Suns took Dragan Bender, a 7-foot-1 big man who was supposed to stretch the floor for Phoenix. Teams saw what Kristaps Porzingis did as a rookie, and envisioned Bender doing the same thing. However, he was the complete opposite of Porzingis, looking totally lost in the 13 minutes per game he played as a rookie (averaging 3.4 points per game).
Advertisement
Advertisement
In one last-ditch effort to salvage his career, Phoenix hired assistant coach Devin Smith, a former teammate of Bender’s in Europe, to help him develop into an actual NBA player.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement