NBA Draft showdown: Marquese Chriss vs. Dragan Bender

Editor’s note: With the Suns drafting Dragan Bender No. 4 overall before trading the Kings picks and the rights to Bogdan Bogdanovic to acquire Marquese Chriss with the No. 8 overall selection in the NBA Draft, we return to this feature comparing and contrasting the two new Suns — before they were new Suns.

Kevin Zimmerman and Kellan Olson of Empire of the Suns get to the bottom of the great power forward debate of the 2016 NBA Draft: Who is the better prospect between Marquese Chriss and Dragan Bender?

Kellan Olson: Hello Kevin! The Phoenix Suns currently do not have a power forward on the books so with that in mind, let’s discuss the two highest-rated players at the position if Ben Simmons is off the board, Marquese Chriss from Washington and Dragan Bender, who played last season in Israel. It’s a fascinating discussion because while Bender has remained in the 3-5 range ever since he pulled out of the 2015 draft, Chriss has risen from a borderline first-rounder to a consensus top-10 pick.

Chriss has been heavily linked to the Suns in mock drafts, and while I’m clearly not the biggest fan of selecting him at No. 4, what stands out about his game?

Kevin Zimmerman: He’s only played basketball since the eighth grade but uses skill and (best-in-the-draft?) athleticism to make complex, fluid plays on the offensive side of the ball.

Take for example, when faced with a guard hitting him out on the three-point line. If Chriss faces a closeout (because he hit 35 percent of his treys his freshman year), he’s very capable of putting the ball on the deck and heading toward the rim. If he’s cut off, he can keep the dribble, spin, go into the post and hit left-handed hooks or fadeaways.

That’s the allure. He’s also pretty self-aware, and I assume teams in the last few weeks like that about him when prodding the forward about his lack of off-ball awareness, for example.

Bender’s a different player, obviously, but wouldn’t you say his stock relies on the fact he’s done many of the things I’ve listed above against good competition for a longer period?

Kellan Olson: Definitely. On offense, it all depends on how he develops as a ball-handler and finisher. He has much better passing ability and basketball awareness than Chriss and has proven to be more of a reliable shooter. Those aggressive closeouts will be coming, so if he can add a better handle and more variety to the way he attacks the rim — Euro step, drop step, pretty much anything to not go in a straight line like he does most of the time — to compensate for a lack of true leaping ability, he will be an extremely dangerous offensive weapon. If there’s an edge to someone on offense, it’s Bender.

The true stock for Bender and where he will benefit tremendously is having defensive versatility. His movement for a 7-footer is spectacular and switching onto guards — something that’s becoming more and more important in the NBA — is no problem for him.

The limitations, however, come in rim protection. Despite a 7-foot-2 wingspan and 9-foot-3 standing reach, I’m not sure Bender can become a consistent rim protector because of his weight and limited leaping ability. One area where Chriss absolutely has an advantage is in shot blocking. Are some possibly overlooking his potential as a defender?

Kevin Zimmerman: All we have on tape is Chriss’ athleticism helping him swat shots at the rim from the weakside. He’s got a lot to prove in terms of defensive awareness (especially if he wants to become a small forward like his idol, Rudy Gay) learning schemes and the like, but I think his physical tools deserve mention here as well.

During the Pac-12 Tournament, his teammates praised his ability to switch 1-through-5. I know, I know. The guy was pretty bad on defense, but I think that if he’s held accountable and told “Hey, you know if you move your feet and don’t reach you won’t lead the league in personal fouls,” he can make huge strides there.

Of course, this is all assuming he is a driven player who wants to get better and put in the work. I think his brief basketball experience might explain his fouling and pretty awful defensive rebounding rate.

Speaking of which, give me a few reasons why Bender may or may not have better defensive/rebounding upside than Chriss, being that he remains a stick. What’s his projection as an interior player?

Kellan Olson: This is where we arrive at the crossroads for Bender. I talked about his potential as a slasher and playmaker, and that also applies down low defensively. If he can develop one of those two crucial aspects of his game, he’s a wonderful pick. If not, however, he could become a limited role player.

We can all agree that Bender is the far better perimeter and team defender, but their rebounding and rim protection numbers are up for debate. Bender’s rebounding rate in all of his play last season was 12.06 percent, only one full percent higher than Chriss’ putrid 11.06 percent mark. The same sort of difference applies to blocks.

Bender is much taller and longer, which is more important than Chriss’ crazy hops. Chriss weighs almost 10 pounds more than Bender, however, and that’s crucial. DeMarcus Cousins is 6-foot-11, weighs 270 pounds and is only a little less quick than Bender. Today’s athletic monsters at center will eat Bender alive if he plays there, and some of his appeal is being able to play center in certain situations.

Even at power forward, Bender has to get much stronger to do his work inside on defense. He has his own flaws and risk being selected in this draft.

My opinion on the matter is well-known, but with all that being said on both prospects, Kevin, who would you take at No. 4 if both players happen to be available?

Kevin Zimmerman: We’re in agreement Bender is the better pick. Both Bender and Chriss have their upside based on their guard-like skills and their futures remain uncertain due to such positional versatility being reliant on improvements either physically or from the broad scope of “basketball awareness.”

While I think Chriss has the potential to become a better player, there’s just not enough on tape at this point. Meanwhile, Bender, while in a limited role, has already been playing professional ball. He’s the “safer” pick that I would still feel really good about if he remains on the board at No. 4 for the Suns.