Bennett dazzles Tuesday, disappears Wednesday
The No.1 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft was a surprise and shock to all, including the pick himself. Anthony Bennett was drafted with the first pick out of UNLV by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Bennett is a combo forward who showed flashes of brilliance over his career playing for the Rebels of UNLV. Bennett battled a weight issue and some injuries that slowed down his off-season before his rookie campaign even started.
The Cavs have completed their first half of their season and have reached the All-Star break with lots of controversy surrounding their team. The first of the three stories that won't leave this organization alone is the return of LeBron James. The only real story is that King James will not be returning to Cleveland without a miracle. The second story is about the Cavs' young budding star Point Guard Kyrie Irving, Irving appears to not be happy with the Cleveland organization and is rumored to want to leave after his contract is up. The last story is the drafting of Anthony Bennett, who some people would argue has been the biggest bust after being selected No.1 overall halfway through their first season. One season is way too early to consider Bennett or any player a bust, no matter if they were drafted with the first pick in the NBA Draft or with a later selection.
On Tuesday, Bennett showed a glimpse of his immense potential. The Cavs playing at home in the Quicken Loans arena beat the Sacramento Kings 109-99. A victory over the Kings by 10 points is no big feat, but Bennett posted his first double-double scoring 19 points and grabbing 10 boards. Bennett was very efficient, shooting 6-9 from the field. Bennett showed a bit of his unique skill set going 3-3 from downtown. Bennett clearly plays with a lack of confidence and a large chip on his shoulder. His next game, one day later, Bennett was back to his usual ways putting up a dud. He played 15 minutes, half the time he played the previous night, and only scored 2 points on 1-4 shooting, and collected only 2 rebounds.
While it is way too early to classify Anthony Bennett as a bust and claim the Cavs brass completely misfired when drafting Bennett, many critics are suggesting both of these stories to be true. We at NBA-DRAFT.COM expect more of the same from Bennett the rest of his rookie season but, hopefully having a full off-season to prepare mentally and physically, will be the start of the upswing of his young career. The Cavs should be able to add another young piece to their roster to improve the team, alleviate some pressure and the spotlight from Bennett.
By Steven Spector -2-13-14
