NBA predraft scouting chews up players such as Ben Bentil.
He is a 6-foot-8 power forward. He was the leading scorer and rebounder as a sophomore for Providence last season. A year ago, he was the Big East’s most improved player. Yet Bentil is fighting for his first-round life.
If he doesn’t make it, he’ll go down swinging.
It’s all Bentil has ever known to do.
On Wednesday, Bentil was one of six players going through workouts for the Nuggets. His aim was the same as in every workout with every other NBA team he had coming into this one — to prove he’s worth a first-round pick.
“Everybody slept on me in college, and I went out there and proved myself,” Bentil told The Denver Post. “At the end of the day it’s the same thing: Go into the NBA and prove yourself. All you need is one team to like you and draft you. I’m waiting on the opportunity. If somebody gives me the opportunity I’m just going to give it my all.”
Bentil’s skill set is being versatile on offense. He scores from the post to the perimeter, and he realistically can play the small and power forward spots in the NBA. Defensively, however, he’s got question marks. Can he guard his position? Can he guard centers if need be? Can he switch onto guards?
Bentil opened eyes at the NBA draft combine and says teams are aware of his skill set.
But are they?
He thought for a second.
“I feel like sometimes they are,” he told The Post. “You have to be at the right place at the right time, and I felt like — no disrespect — some people was at the right place at the right time and got the hype. And I feel like they can’t even guard me, they can’t stay in front of me. You’ve got to give them props, they were at the right place at the right time. So, at the end of the day, when you see these people, you have to go out and prove yourself and show them that you’re better than that.”
Vanderbilt point guard Wade Baldwin was the marquee name in the group. There’s not a ton of chatter about him floating around, but he’ll be a lottery pick and is arguably the best point guard in the draft after Providence’s Kris Dunn.
“I’ve been getting very good feedback in all (of my workouts),” Baldwin said. “I’ve done well in all of them. Love everything about me right now. So everything is going smooth, and I can’t wait for a month from now.”
Wednesday’s workout included Colorado Mesa star Ryan Stephan, the 6-10 center who was the RMAC player of the year, the D2CAA national player of the year and an NABC first-team Division II All-American.
“I was a late bloomer,” Stephan said. “I flourished in my last two years in Division II. I never had any dreams about playing in the NBA or anything like that, I kind of was a realist. But I just kept improving, and agents were all over me after the season ended. So I took a step back, evaluated that and he got me in here (for a workout).”
The former Green Mountain standout said the Nuggets called him “a month and a half” ago to extend the invitation to come for a workout.
“It was good. I was definitely nervous,” he said. “It’s my first experience with talent on this level. It took me while to get acclimated. … But I competed, and I’m happy with my effort.”
