A tale of two horses: Dragan Bender vs Ivica Zubac and the NBA Summer League

Leading up to this season's NBA Draft, ESPN's "take" was that,

Ingram (left) and Simmons (right) are nice but there are plenty of other talent in this year's NBA Draft

"this draft is a two-man race.  I mean, after Simmons and Ingram it's really just a bunch of guys." -some afternoon radio show on ESPN LA by a self-proclaimed "talk show host" and Lakers "play-by-play" announcer.

"Play-by-Play" is a guy who virtually knows NOTHING about basketball yet calls every Lakers game on the radio.  He is a guy that if he catches wind that Mitch Kupchak has been let's say "spotted" scouting a guy like Diamond Stone (Maryland) or a Dragen Bender (Maccabi Tel Aviv) then his opinion becomes something like, "the Lakers will probably draft Bender with their first pick and Stone with their second."

Simmons and Ingram will both have their fair share of struggles this season as ALL rookies do.  And, this draft is FAR richer than what the "largest sports network in the world's" opinion is.  

Jaylen Brown went third to Boston.  That pick could have been Bender.  

Buddy lookin to drop Buckets on the NBA

It also could have been someone like pick number 6, Buddy Hield, who averaged 4.0 3PT buckets made out of 8.7 Attempts for a 46% mark from behind the arc and 25 points per game.  As dominant as Hield was all season and as many crucial and clutch moments as he had, Buddy Buckets could NOT do enough to overcome the hoopla and hype that Simmons and Ingram stirred.

Jaylen Brown?  Nice player.  He looked like a top 5 pick right up until the PAC-12 Tourney where he basically fell off the map and Isaac Rabb surfaced as Cal's best player down the stretch.  However, Ainge "liked" the competitive spirit that Brown showed so he went number three.  Hield's statistics, play and leadership blow doors on Brown.  The caveat here is that these three aforementioned players are all freshman and about 18 years old versus Hield who is 22 and a 4-year player (Oklahoma).

I will say it right now: Buddy Hield will have a better rookie campaign then all three of these guys.  They are all nice players.  But, Buddy is ready to go NOW and I think his situation in New Orleans vs. the other players will lend itself to the right position for "the best shooter in the draft" to flourish.

Dragan Bender:  Everyone got excited because he is a 7 footer that can dribble.  Do you know why he can dribble?  He has a lot of experience playing point guard.  If you take that ONE attribute a way the comparison between he and the Lakers number 32 pick, Ivica Zubac, is tight.  Do NOT be surprised that Zubac ends up the better big man of the two.  Bender may end up having a better season due to his situation in Phoenix but once Zubac gets acclimated and gets appropriate PT the Lakers may show and prove that they got the best "big" in the draft.  

No disrespect to Jakob Poeltl and Domantas Sabonis.  These guys are both studs and did NOT get talked about at all.  I believe Poeltl is the Buddy Hield of the BIGS.  Meaning, he is the best, ready-to-go big man in the draft.  This does NOT mean he will end up the best big overall however.

Kris Dunn and Jamal Murray are also studs (picks 5 and 7). Marquese Chriss?  Valentine?  I could go on-and-on.  My point is this:  this draft is rich in talent and the NBA fans, including ESPN will find this out come 2016-17.  There is always talent from the bottom end of the first round and players selected in round two that end up better than higher draft picks.  This year will be no different.

The NBA Summer League kicks off today, July 8, 2016.  There is a nice match up of Buddy Buckets (Pelicans) vs Ingram and the Lakers at 7:30 pm.

I am looking forward to the big dogs playing however.

The Lakers may have drafted a player BETTER than no 4 Dragan Bender

 All of Laker Land waited in anticipation for the ping pong balls to hit "number 2," and totally discounted their number 32 they had all along.  The Lakers may have captured the "Porzingis" of this year's draft.  I do not mean that in comparison to the skill set as Zubac does not have comparable perimeter game.  I mean this as getting a guy that few had on the radar that ends up being much better than where he was drafted (This is a little more challenging to say about a number 4 pick, Porzingis, than Zubac at 32)