ESPN writer: Chriss and Bender disappointed in Summer League
Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender did not exactly dominate in their five games at this season's Las Vegas Summer League.
An official (133) gets between Houston Rockets' Troy Williams, left, and Phoenix Suns' Marquese Chriss, center, during the second half of an NBA summer league basketball game, Monday, July 10, 2017, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
(AP Photo/John Locher)
The Summer League is mainly built for rookies and young guys fighting for a chance to be on a NBA roster. So when two sophomore lottery picks come to play, they are expected to dominate.
The Suns’ Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender did not exactly dominate in their five games in Vegas this year.
Chriss averaged 14.4 points, six rebounds and one assist per game while tallying up 22 fouls in his first three games alone.
Bender just about matched Chriss production, putting up 14.2 points, six rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while committing 21 fouls in his first three games.
Those stats contributed to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com designating Bender and Chiss as the biggest disappointments at Summer League.
The Phoenix Suns’ sophomore lottery picks. Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss both shot worse than 40 percent from the floor and didn’t exactly dominate the glass (each averaged 6.0 rebounds per game) as Phoenix went 2-4. That isn’t exactly reason to believe that the Suns’ rebuilding project can be fast-tracked.
During last year’s regular season, Chriss moved into the starting rotation early in the season averaging 9.2 points and 4.2 rebounds a game.
Bender on the other hand, was sidelined with an ankle injury and played in only 43 games while putting up 3.4 points and 2.4 rebound per game.
The Summer League was supposed to be their time to shine and although they didn’t take any major strides forward, they showed some improvement.
Chriss seemed to have gained some weight in the offseason, helping him against bigger opponents the post, while Bender showcased his skill off the dribble.
Both guys are still under 21 and will continue to improve, and after all, it’s only Summer League. Not everyone saw the Suns’ sophomores as negatives.
#Suns a clear SL winner. Chriss-Bender-Jackson getting so much time together is a running start into 2017-18. More meaningful than any stat.
— Scott Howard-Cooper (@SHowardCooper) July 18, 2017
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Comments
25 Comments
He is correct. Bender showed flashes but needs more consistency. Chriss looked overweight and disinterested. Certainly didn't dominate or even play great. His body language and facial expressions seemed to suggest he believed he was too good to be playing in Summer League. Someone should have told him to show that in his play because he certainly didn't.
The Suns are an afterthought to ESPN. If you weren't already aware of this...
"I'll take peoples who's job it is to comment on these types of items for ESPN over your opinions every time."
LOL ouch! 😂 Seriously though, can't say I disagree. They do have more resources at their disposal..they just often choose to use Suns media outlets to get their news, or Woj from Yahoo sports...
ESPN (and the NBA itself) only prioritizes current contenders Warriors-Cavs, and NBA staples in Boston, LA, Philly, NY..Heading into the draft lottery, ESPN was marketing the eventual winners of the top 3 (for 3rd consecutive year, mind you) in Sixers, Lakers, and Celtics. Their logos on commercials, mainly talking about those Big 3 on round table discussions..even though Phoenix had the inside track at the #2 spot. People keep calling the Valley a small market when PHX is, I think the 5th largest city and fastest growing metropolitan area in the U.S. So "small market" is a weak reason for dismissing Phoenix. They did so because Ball to the Lakers was already in the cards, as Magic himself said this (and Luke Walton inadvertently let that slip) pre-draft lottery. So no, don't trust or rely on ESPN for Suns news, which when they do report, is usually vague, devoid of details, or incomplete.
Can often get more info from fellow Suns fans..or doing your own research. But hey? By all means, suit yourself.