The Toronto Raptors assigned 2013 first overall draft pick Anthony Bennett to their D-League affiliate Raptors 905 today, making Bennett the first number 1 pick to play in the D-League.
From Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic:
Bennett will play in the 905’s 2 p.m. game against the Delaware 87ers and then immediately be recalled to be available off the bench when the Raptors take on the Sacramento Kings at 6 p.m. Delon Wright has been recalled to the Raptors to make room for Bennett, as NBA teams may only assign up to three players at a time, and Norman Powell and Bruno Caboclo are also with the 905.
Bennett being sent to the D-League is far from surprising; the 6’8″ power forward is averaging just 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 5.3 minutes per game this season. Since being selected first in the draft, over players like Victor Oladipo, Nerlens Noel, C.J. McCollum, Michael Carter-Williams, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bennett has been, in a word, underwhelming.
At the time, it was hard to understand why Cleveland would draft him ahead of Victor Oladipo. Now, looking back, it makes even less since. I do see the appeal in Bennett, since stretch-4’s are valuable in today’s league, and they didn’t have Kevin Love on the roster yet. But his upside was just far below other guys in that class, and he seemed a bit overweight. Bennett is now on the third team of his career in 3 seasons. It may be too early to call him a bust, but if he continues on this trajectory, he undoubtedly will be one.
As for him being the first number 1 pick to be sent to the D-League, it is important to understand that the D-League has only been in existence since 2001, and it is still growing in size. Bennett may be the first number 1 pick to play there, but it’s unlikely that he will be the last. Currently, 22 NBA teams have D-League affiliates, and I expect that the remaining 8 will follow suit before long. The growth of the D-League means that more NBA teams will have the option of sending their young players there to gain experience.
