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I felt the urge to write about this, because I really feel bad for the kid. And yeah, a lot of the pity is coming from that gentle Canadian heart of mine. But this morning I watched a video of Gary Payton on FoxSportsLive emphatically yelling at Bennett to step it up, and to work his butt off to get into NBA game shape. Which is fair enough. And so after finally playing more than 20 minutes for the FIRST time this year (no exaggeration, I couldn't believe it) he put up 15 points with 8 boards. The Cavs lost the game to the Pelicans, and it wasn't even close. But this has been a recurring theme for the Cavaliers this year who, under their head coach Mr. Potatohead, have met zero expectations.
Here's the thing though: typically, teams that draft a 1st overall pick have had zero expectations placed on them going into the forthcoming year. And that translates into copious playing time for their beloved rookie, with all associated growing pains. But this year's Cavaliers had high expectations particularly with Andrew Bynum in the mix, a developing Tristan Thompson, an all-star in Irving, a healthy Varejao, and newly signed Jarrett Jack and Earl Clark. And clearly, that hasn't panned out. Flash back to the 2003 draft when the infamous Darko Milicic was chosen 2nd overall in a draft year more chock full of talent than a high end strip club. Darko, for very good reason as the Pistons won the title that year, played sparing minutes all season long and never developed into the player he was thought to have been. However this certainly is not the case with the Cavaliers. Sure, there is a glimmer of hope for a playoff appearance, but most likely an 8th or 7th seed which will inevitably be shellacked by the Heat or Pacers.
Maybe Darko was never a high impact-caliber player to begin with, and maybe Bennett is the same way. But how can you truly know given such a belligerently small sample size? Why doesn't ownership in Cleveland just accept that this season is an absolute bust for them, and at least attempt to minimize the number of busts to just one? I figure that it seems pretty blatantly obvious that losing games without even attempting to develop your number one overall pick is a significantly worse option than losing games while building confidence and providing your rookie with valuable in-game experience.
Just a quick comparison between the number one and number two overall picks. I scrolled through the season stats for both Anthony Bennett and Victor Oladipo to compare the MPG, and you can compare them for yourselves:
Anthony Bennett Player Log
Victor Oladipo Player Log
The disparity in playing time is hilarious, considering both teams are equally as competitive (not competitive at all). I really think it shows how poorly Cleveland's management and coaching staff have transitioned Bennett into the NBA. I get that he has clearly struggled on the court and that he was out of shape early in the season, but good God, the amount of expectations that were placed on him and even the fan booing early on is quite ridiculous. I always felt that confidence can be a huge factor in the development of a young (and in this case, 20 year old) player. Both confidence from the organization, and confidence within the player. And right now, Cleveland has not provided the opportunities nor the environment for Anthony Bennett to even begin thriving. Hopefully that changes real soon.
Here's the thing though: typically, teams that draft a 1st overall pick have had zero expectations placed on them going into the forthcoming year. And that translates into copious playing time for their beloved rookie, with all associated growing pains. But this year's Cavaliers had high expectations particularly with Andrew Bynum in the mix, a developing Tristan Thompson, an all-star in Irving, a healthy Varejao, and newly signed Jarrett Jack and Earl Clark. And clearly, that hasn't panned out. Flash back to the 2003 draft when the infamous Darko Milicic was chosen 2nd overall in a draft year more chock full of talent than a high end strip club. Darko, for very good reason as the Pistons won the title that year, played sparing minutes all season long and never developed into the player he was thought to have been. However this certainly is not the case with the Cavaliers. Sure, there is a glimmer of hope for a playoff appearance, but most likely an 8th or 7th seed which will inevitably be shellacked by the Heat or Pacers.
Maybe Darko was never a high impact-caliber player to begin with, and maybe Bennett is the same way. But how can you truly know given such a belligerently small sample size? Why doesn't ownership in Cleveland just accept that this season is an absolute bust for them, and at least attempt to minimize the number of busts to just one? I figure that it seems pretty blatantly obvious that losing games without even attempting to develop your number one overall pick is a significantly worse option than losing games while building confidence and providing your rookie with valuable in-game experience.
Just a quick comparison between the number one and number two overall picks. I scrolled through the season stats for both Anthony Bennett and Victor Oladipo to compare the MPG, and you can compare them for yourselves:
Anthony Bennett Player Log
Victor Oladipo Player Log
The disparity in playing time is hilarious, considering both teams are equally as competitive (not competitive at all). I really think it shows how poorly Cleveland's management and coaching staff have transitioned Bennett into the NBA. I get that he has clearly struggled on the court and that he was out of shape early in the season, but good God, the amount of expectations that were placed on him and even the fan booing early on is quite ridiculous. I always felt that confidence can be a huge factor in the development of a young (and in this case, 20 year old) player. Both confidence from the organization, and confidence within the player. And right now, Cleveland has not provided the opportunities nor the environment for Anthony Bennett to even begin thriving. Hopefully that changes real soon.
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