Ben Bentil, Providence
Age: 21 years old Size: 6’8, 230 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 21.1 points; 7.7 rebounds; 1.1 assists per game
Percentages: 46.2% from the field; 32.9% from three-point; 78.2% from the free throw line
Ben Bentil has the tools. He can fire from the NBA three-point line or use his strong and stocky frame to muscle his way into the low post and use his jump hook. He is a light-footed and mobile power forward with NBA level range. He can be the prototypical stretch-four in the modern NBA.
Bentil has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and is a bulky 230 pounds. He has the strength to gain position where he wants and uses his ability to shoot from the perimeter to create space. He can score from the low block or high post and can play with his back to the basket or face up and shoot over his defender. Bentil still has pretty bad court awareness, which has hurt his game as a rim runner, but if he can polish his understanding he could become a force in the pick and roll as well.
While Providence never asked him to play defense, he did not really put much effort in himself either. He seems distant and uninterested on defense the majority of the time. He fails to block out and often doesn’t even bother to get down into a defensive stance on the perimeter. Bentil’s defensive game reminds me a lot of Kenneth Faried. He has the tools and ability to defend at a high level, but just chooses not to.
Adding a stretch-four is needed for the Nuggets, but I am not sure Bentil is that guy. He is worth a flier in the late second round, but he will not contribute right away and his ceiling is not very high. With an already jammed front court, it would be surprising to see Bentil in a Nuggets uniform.
