There must be a good reason why a 6-foot-11 prospect with athletic ability and a productive college stint slips slides deep into the second round of the NBA draft.
For Keith Benson, the Hawks’ pick Thursday, it was all about his weight.
Benson was a two-time Summit League player of the year at Oakland (Mich.) University. He ranked second in the NCAA in blocked shots as a senior and averaged double figures in points and rebounds in each of his final two seasons.
But in the NBA, Benson regularly will compete against centers who outweigh him by at least 30 pounds. Benson said he weighs 224 pounds, giving him a frame that the league’s centers will have little trouble pushing around.
Consider that the Hawks’ Al Horford, who is considered undersized at center, weighed about 245 pounds last season. Hawks guard Joe Johnson is 6-7 and about 240.
Benson, 22, has a 7-foot-4 wingspan. He said he was 6-9 and 190 pounds when he got to Oakland, which is located in a Detroit suburb near his hometown of Farmington Hills.
“I think I have the frame to put on a lot of weight,” Benson said. “My game will really increase once I put on that weight and some strength. I think I can put on 20 or more pounds.”
Benson is scheduled to arrive in Atlanta on Sunday for a minicamp that begins Monday at Philips Arena. No doubt a big part of his offseason work will involve the weight room.
Hawks coach Larry Drew said once prospects leave college and are able to focus only on basketball, they can make rapid progress with adding bulk.
“You see that all the time,” Drew said. “They get in the weight room more and get on a special diet. I’ve seen a number of players that come in a little underweight, and good programs allow them to get out there and compete.”
Hawks assistant general manager Dave Pendergraft said Benson is “thin, but wiry strong.” Predraft scouting reports suggest Benson lacks toughness and doesn’t always play with tenacity.
Still, Pendergraft said the Hawks didn’t think Benson would be available when they picked.
“We do like his potential,” Pendergraft said. “We feel like he has the ability to score the ball now. ... We don’t think it will be that long of a wait [for Benson to develop].”
Drew said Benson can play both center and power forward. Drew said he wants the Hawks to take a “very aggressive approach” to defense next season, and Benson could help that process.
“Going into the draft and looking at the free-agent market, if we are going to be one of the top teams in the [Eastern Conference] we have got to get better defensively,” he said. “And what better way to get better than to bring in a shot blocker.”
Benson’s contract will not be guaranteed, which is standard for second-round draft picks. He’s expected to stick with the Hawks as they look to round out their roster with younger players.
Hawks general manager Rick Sund said the team is working on bringing in some players who weren’t drafted for the camp next week. The NBA has canceled its summer leagues because the owners and players have yet to agree to a new collective bargaining agreement.
The Hawks traded their first-round draft pick to Washington in February as part of the deal to acquire guard Kirk Hinrich. Sund said the Hawks explored potential trades to acquire a first-round pick, but “there was nothing that really made sense.”
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Local flavor
Five players from metro Atlanta high schools were selected Thursday in the NBA draft:
- Chris Singleton (Dunwoody) was the No. 18 overall pick by the Wizards.
- Marshon Brooks (Tucker) was selected by the Celtics at No. 25 and then traded to the Nets.
- Trey Thompkins (Wesleyan) was selected at No. 37 by the Clippers.
- Andrew Goudelock (Stone Mountain) was selected at No. 46 by the Lakers.
- Travis Leslie (Columbia) was selected No. 47 by the Clippers.
