Dragan Bender

Croatian big man Dragan Bender could be a versatile draft option for the Boston Celtics.

(Nicolas Armer / AP Images)

The Boston Celtics avoided dropping out of the lottery on Tuesday, drawing the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. While keeping that pick (by no means whatsoever a guarantee) would likely preclude them from Brandon Ingram or Ben Simmons, it still presents an intriguing batch of options.

Perhaps no option is more intriguing than Croatian big man Dragan Bender, whose skill set is surpassed perhaps only by his phenomenal name. Bender shot up draft boards this year, and he currently resides in the No. 3 slot on the venerable Draft Express mock. If the Celtics snatched him up, they would add a big man with a versatile blend of talents that might make a coach like Brad Stevens salivate.

As always, check out Draft Express for more info on Bender.

Strengths

Bender's potential is incredibly high, and it starts with his body. He's enormous -- 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-2 wing span -- but he's also very fluid, which is increasingly important in today's NBA.

That fluidity allows Bender to do a lot of intriguing things. He can run the floor very well, filling lanes and getting out in transition, and his height combined with his speed make him a high-potential player in the pick-and-roll. Finding the right spots is crucial for a young player off the ball, and Bender seems to do that quite well.

While he will need to fill out considerably (he was last weighed at 216 pounds), he has the potential to be a solid rebounder -- he showed a high offensive-rebounding IQ and has flashed the ability to back-tap a la Tyson Chandler, creating extra possessions for his team.

Bender's 3-point shot is also improving, which is a big reason he could tempt teams high in the lottery. While he struggled early in his (still very young) career, his stroke doesn't look broken, and if he can prove that his range stretches to the NBA 3-point line, he'll be especially dangerous as a stretch-4 and, after adding strength, potentially a stretch-5. Bender's fluidity makes him a PnR threat, but his shot could make him dangerous as a pick-and-pop option as well. Currently, he needs plenty of time to line up a triple, but if that changes, his jumper could be a weapon.

But where Bender truly excels is as a passer. Watch him grab a rebound and send a side-arm full-court pass to a teammate for an easy breakaway bucket.

Outlet passes like this aren't Bender's only strength. He has also shown flashes as drive-and-kick passer, and he has excellent vision in the post with his back to the basket -- while this shooter misses, the skip pass finds him perfectly.

Bender is also a very solid perimeter defender already, with quick hands and feet. He can close out nicely, using his length to contest 3-point shooters, and when he is switched onto a guard, he can swallow them up with his length. That will make him an excellent NBA defender, where modern bigs are expected to contain wings and point guards by switching and icing them to the sides. Bender should be able to adjust to those demands quickly.

Finally, Bender's potential takes on an especially promising light given his age -- at 18-years-old until November, he's one of the youngest players in the draft class, but he's also played multiple high-level professional basketball seasons. Overseas basketball isn't quite NBA basketball, but it's frequently a higher quality than the NCAA.

Weaknesses

While Bender's list of strengths begins with his frame, his list of weaknesses does as well. As fluid and quick-footed as Bender is guarding perimeter players, NBA power forwards are generally required to be able to defend the interior at at the very least a cursory level. Bender will struggle until he puts on some muscle against the strength and physicality of professional big men. He's still very thin, and big men overseas were able to dislodge him and move him around the paint. That had a negative effect on him both offensively and defensively: On offense, he struggled to establish position, while on defense, his rim protection suffered from his inability to hold his ground.

Adding strength will also be crucial when Bender drives. While he can slash and find teammates as a passer, finishing around the rim through contact is difficult for him, since he isn't strong enough to simply plow through people. He also isn't lightning quick -- his agility and height help him, but his speed isn't elite yet.

Finally, while Bender's shooting has gotten notably better, he still needs a lot of time to get it off -- one of the biggest reasons why Bender is a different player from the lazy comparisons to Kristaps Porgzingis. Bender can -- and probably will -- continue to improve as a shooter, but it's not a guarantee.

Fit With The Celtics

The Celtics are likely to have a pretty big need at the power forward position after free agency this season, which makes someone like Bender intriguing, as does his previous experience in the pros. Add in his defensive versatility and switchability (not a word, but given modern NBA trends, let's just pretend it is) and well as his ability to move the basketball, and you've got the the type of player that could fit well into Stevens' system.

Bender, of course, does not really solve Boston's shooting woes, at least not right away, but few rookies would. If the Celtics keep the pick and use it on Bender, they will likely look to acquire shooting elsewhere -- either in the free agent or trade market, or by developing players that are already on the roster (R.J. Hunter, for example), or some combination of the two.

Regardless, Bender would be interesting on both ends in lineups with Crowder, Bradley and Smart, and when the Celtics play Isaiah Thomas off the ball, Bender's ability to facilitate the play could come in very handy. He's still raw, but the Celtics are good, and they could help him develop in a system that is already set up to win games.

Level Of Intrigue

One has to imagine it's high. Bender appears to be No. 3 on many draft boards, and after obtaining the No. 3 overall pick last night, the Celtics will likely have to sit idly by as Ingram and Simmons go elsewhere. That would appear to leave Bender, who most teams would consider a nice consolation prize, especially given the way Porzingis has helped shake the recent (and unfair) stigma of Darko Milicic and the unproven European big man.

Ainge claimed he really likes this draft and that Boston is excited about its options at No. 3. He could certainly be angling to up the trade value of a high-quality asset, but it's also possible he sees the potential promise in Bender -- a young big man with a collection of talents that offers plenty of promise.

Either way, having the third pick gives Ainge a lot of options. Bender is one, and if he's the direction Boston goes, Celtics fans will have plenty of reasons to be excited.

Follow Tom on Twitter: @Tom_NBA.