There’s no question that the Brooklyn Nets could use a great deal of help and would benefit from owning their lottery pick this season. Unfortunately for them, they mortgaged much of their future to get Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett upon the franchise’s move to Brooklyn and have been paying for it ever since. Now the Celtics have the No. 3 pick in this 2016 NBA Mock Draft and can get a prospect like Dragan Bender.
Bender, who currently plays professional in Israel for the European powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft. At just 18 years old, Bender stands 7-1 with great length and great skill for a player with his size at his age. He possesses the ability to obviously use his size and length to attack on the interior, but also the ability to step away from the lane and produce as well.
In fairness, there’s a bit of concern about Bender in regards to his similarities in prospect profile to Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks. Perhaps there might be a little too much love being shown to Bender after how successful KP was in his rookie season. Even still, the Celtics are in a position where they can afford to take that gamble and Bender’s upside says he could be well worth the risk.
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