NBA Draft Profiles: Keith Benson, Oakland

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Stats: 17.9 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.6 bpg,

Age: 22, senior

Size:

• Listed: 6'11", 220 lb
• Official: 6'10" (no shoes), 6'11" (with shoes), 7'3.75" (wingspan), 9'1.5" (reach), 217 lb

Strengths: Keith Benson has a tantalizing skill set for NBA teams. For starters, he has terrific tools. He's a legit 6'11" with shoes on, he has a wingspan just a shade under 7'4", and he is an impressive athlete. That length and athleticism is part of the reason he has become an elite shot blocker at the collegiate level, averaging 3.6 bpg as a senior, but he also has impressive timing and does well to stay on his feet and avoid biting on pump fakes. Offensively, he has an excellent touch around the basket. He's got more of a finesse game with his back to the basket, scoring on jump hooks and turn-around jumpers, and also has proven to be a solid shooter from 8-10 feet. Benson knocked down 39.1% of his threes this past season, albeit only shooting a limited amount, but he should develop fairly well as a pick-and-pop threat.

Weaknesses: There are two major concerns with Benson. The first is strength. At less than 220 lb, Benson got pushed around at the collegiate level, which is not a good sign for a player that is going to be a post player at the next level. He needs to add strength and size in his upper-body, and could stand to strengthen his core and lower body as well. That lack of strength not only shows in his back to the basket game, but in his ability to hold position in the post. The other issue with Benson is his grit. He has a reputation for being a bit soft, and while he did average more than 10 boards, much of that was due to his superior length and athleticism. Kenneth Faried, he is not. Benson doesn't appear to have a great feel for the game, but that should come with playing more. Also to keep in mind -- while Benson has had some big games against some good teams, the majority of his collegiate career came against Summit League opponents.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Marcin Gortat. May seem like an odd comparison, but if Benson packs on some pounds, he may very well be better than Gortat, who is a solid big man because of solid size, length, and athleticism. Respectable face up games and good tenacity in the paint, but filling out his body is top priority in the league to reach his potential.


• Worst Case Scenario: Mikki Moore. Solid rebounder, decent athlete and big body in the post with great size, but a little frail in build like Keith. Moore was never really much more than a hustle guy in the paint who could hit the open jumper, but it could happen if Benson isn’t up for the high level of competition because of undernourished play in the Summit League. Hassan Whiteside is another comparison I've seen that I like.

Outlook: Benson has a very intriguing skill-set. He can score and he can block shots. His flaws are correctable as well. If basketball is his profession, it shouldn't be that difficult for him to pack on the pounds. That said, toughness is not a trait that can be learned, and if he doesn't improve him ability to battle in the paint, he is not going to have much of an NBA career. Another thing to keep in mind with Benson is that he is a bit of a late bloomer. He was a bit of an under-the-radar recruit, which is how he wound up at Oakland, and he redshirted his first season. In his first year playing, Benson averaged a measley 5.2 ppg and 3.5 rpg. He's not a finished product, and probably has more upside than other players at his position in this draft.

Draft Range: Early to Mid 2nd Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "Benson is another great athlete who runs the floor well and shows excellent quickness and athletic ability for a big man. He's a very good shot-blocker, rebounder and even has a face-the-basket game out to about 15 feet. ... He lacks strength to play in the post. He can get a bit lazy at times and doesn't always engage every play. He struggled to defend stronger players in the paint."


• Draft Express: "The biggest challenges the Detroit Country Day product faces in legitimizing his NBA stock and maximizing his potential value is his lack of grit and physical strength. He has exceptional size, great fluidity, good mobility, and a terrific wingspan for a potential NBA big, but lacks the type of lower body strength that would give him the ability to prevent stronger NBA big men from backing him down in the post and the polish to get by on his skill-level alone."


• Swish Scout: "Finesse big man with a nice post game, midrange shooting, rebounding, and shot blocking ability. Benson is refined post player with a mature skill set, but could afford to put on a minimum of 10-15 pounds to his frame to improve his upper body strength to handle contact against on stronger post players in the NBA, which will be the major underlying issue in his game upon entering the league."

Highlights: