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Jonathan Bender: How Good Could He Have Been?
Posted on 6/23/14 at 5:57 pm
Posted on 6/23/14 at 5:57 pm
This is a spin off from the injury thread, but he was a 6-11 big man who could dunk from the free throw line and hit 3's all day. Committed to Miss. St. and was the #4 pick in the NBA draft in 1999, I think. Greatest player to ever come out of Picayune, Mississippi, I am sure. Went straight to the Indiana Pacers where he was hurt almost all of the time and never developed.
What would have happened if he had gone to State and been able to develop his game and put on weight more slowly? If he would have stayed at State for 3 years or so, would we still be talking about Bender today in the NBA. He is what, 33 or 34?
Or, would he never have been any good? Would love to hear your thoughts. I was really intrigued by him when he came out of high school. I thought he was going to be a great one.
What would have happened if he had gone to State and been able to develop his game and put on weight more slowly? If he would have stayed at State for 3 years or so, would we still be talking about Bender today in the NBA. He is what, 33 or 34?
Or, would he never have been any good? Would love to hear your thoughts. I was really intrigued by him when he came out of high school. I thought he was going to be a great one.
8
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:04 pm to AlaTiger
I never remember him being good, but I'm sure injury had something to do with that. I don't have the age to have the perspective, honestly.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:06 pm to AlaTiger
I remember that guy. Hadn't thought of him in ages
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:07 pm to AlaTiger
quote:
This is a spin off from the injury thread, but he was a 6-11 big man who could dunk from the free throw line and hit 3's all day.
Sounds like Arvydas Sobonis
7'3" center / do everything player from Lithuania. Played for the USSR team that beat the USA in 1988. Spent some time in the NBA after age and injuries had caught up with him. Might be the most athletic big man in basketball history.
LINK
This post was edited on 6/23/14 at 6:15 pm
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:10 pm to Ponchy Tiger
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:15 pm to papz
added a link, look for him youtube.
This post was edited on 6/23/14 at 6:16 pm
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:17 pm to Ponchy Tiger
I posted him in the injury thread. I basically said that by all accounts he had a silky smooth J coupled with outstanding passing ability and D.
But mostly that's what I've read. I don't remember him in prime. But would you say he was that athletic? Watching that highlight video he doesn't look it.
Dunking from the free throw line =/= two handed dunks under the goal
But mostly that's what I've read. I don't remember him in prime. But would you say he was that athletic? Watching that highlight video he doesn't look it.
Dunking from the free throw line =/= two handed dunks under the goal
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:25 pm to Ponchy Tiger
He had no where close to the athleticism as Jonathan Bender. Bender was incredibly raw and nothing close to the polished player Sabonis was.
Besides being bad three point shooters, they weren't anything alike.
Besides being bad three point shooters, they weren't anything alike.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:27 pm to papz
Kinda what I thought.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:28 pm to Matisyeezy
quote:
Watching that highlight video he doesn't look it.
I think he is, that video says 1986 but a lot of them highlights are from a game against the USA with David Robinson and others. I don't think there is a lot of video of his younger days. I do remember seeing a game once where he left from around the free throw line for a dunk. He is mostly forgotten outside hardcore basketball circles.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:33 pm to Ponchy Tiger
I remember him from those Blazers teams that were always such a hard out for my Bulls/Lakers
I was like 10, of course I was a bandwagon fan. I had the Bulls Starter jacket and everything. Plus a Shaq Lakers jersey.
I'm sure looking a 10 years old, 60 lb. kid in a Shaq jersey was probably hysterical for everyone else. Haters.
I was like 10, of course I was a bandwagon fan. I had the Bulls Starter jacket and everything. Plus a Shaq Lakers jersey.
I'm sure looking a 10 years old, 60 lb. kid in a Shaq jersey was probably hysterical for everyone else. Haters.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:35 pm to Ponchy Tiger
quote:Not really. I know you're excited you discovered him, but anyone who was basketball fan in the 90s will remember him.
He is mostly forgotten outside hardcore basketball circles.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:38 pm to genro
quote:
I know you're excited you discovered him,
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:44 pm to AlaTiger
Bender had a lot of opportunities to prove he was anything more than a 9th or 10th man and never did. HE was a bust and it wasnt because of injuries
This post was edited on 6/23/14 at 6:44 pm
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:47 pm to Ponchy Tiger
Sabonis is not as great or as good as you think he is either.
Bender was an amazing athlete and had a diverse but extremely raw skill set. shite happens.
Bender was an amazing athlete and had a diverse but extremely raw skill set. shite happens.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:51 pm to The_Hornet
If Sabonis has anywhere near the athleticism Bender had, he would have been a great center. Very good passer and played well around the basket. He had some Vlade passing skills and a pretty good hook shot if I remember correctly.
Bender was an athletic SF/PF tweener that was well... bad.
Bender was an athletic SF/PF tweener that was well... bad.
This post was edited on 6/23/14 at 6:53 pm
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:54 pm to Ponchy Tiger
Sabonis was highly skilled, but hardly the most athletic big man ever. His skill and coordination were off the charts for a 7 footer though
Posted on 6/23/14 at 6:59 pm to Lester Earl
quote:
Sabonis was highly skilled
Meh, he wasn't as highly skilled as you want him to be.
quote:
His skill and coordination were off the charts for a 7 footer though
Not compared to modern 7 footers. Hell even his contemporaries were much more skilled and coordinated.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 7:14 pm to The_Hornet
quote:
Meh, he wasn't as highly skilled as you want him to be.
Be more specific. Which of his skills were lacking?
quote:
Not compared to modern 7 footers.
The center position in the NBA is currently terrible. There are maybe 3 or 4 guys that compare, Gasol bros. Joakim Noah, and Tim Duncan if you want to include him.
quote:
Hell even his contemporaries were much more skilled and coordinated
He played in the golden age of big men. He can still be highly skilled, even if he wasn't the most skilled. Considering he was one of the tallest Centers in the league, and he was playing past his prime, he held his own.
Posted on 6/23/14 at 7:27 pm to Lester Earl
quote:
Be more specific. Which of his skills were lacking?
You were the one who said he was highly skilled, not me. I think he had good skills, but nothing to get too excited about.
quote:
The center position in the NBA is currently terrible
Cool. I didn't say anything about modern centers. I said 7 footers. And I don't mean guys who are literally in their primes right now.
quote:
There are maybe 3 or 4 guys that compare, Gasol bros. Joakim Noah, and Tim Duncan if you want to include him.
And Garnett, Dirk, Davis, Cousins, Aldridge, Howard, and Monroe to name a few. Sabonis averaged less than 1 3 point shot per game for his career. He made a grand total of 136 in 470 career NBA games. He was a solid passer, but that isn't exactly a rare skill for big men. Hell he wasn't even that elite for his own time period in the NBA.
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