It’s way, way too early to freak out about this or to use the “B” word. (“Bust.” As your mom used to say get your mind out of the gutter.)
That said…
Cleveland’s No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett is off to a historically rough start of his rookie season. He is 0-of-15 from the field and that includes 0-of-8 from three. He’s missed five shots inside eight feet, a couple shots that were long twos and the eight threes. He has knocked down a couple free throws, so he has points.
It’s the slowest start for a No. 1 overall pick since 1966. Think about that. All the bust No. 1 picks you can name — Kwame Brown, Michael Olowokandi and on down the list — got off to faster starts than Bennett.
Which is probably why Bennett tweeted this (but has since removed it):
I don’ think we can emphasize enough it is way, way, way too early to hit any panic buttons here. Remember he is a 20-year-old kid coming off shoulder surgery trying to find his way in a new and tougher league.
Talk to me around the All-Star break and we’ll see how he is developing, but remember that the Cavaliers picked him for the player they think he will be in three years, not 50 minutes into his NBA career. It’s a process.
Announcement: Pro Basketball Talk’s partner FanDuel is hosting a one-day $75,000 Fantasy Basketball league for Wednesday, Nov. 6th games. It’s $25 to join and first prize is $10,000. Starts at 7pm ET on Wednesday. Here’s the link.
To me the spotlight would fall more on the Cavaliers here anyway — they made the gamble pick that surprised everybody. He was considered a guy with a big upside, someone long and athletic, but a bit of a project.
Four games into the season is way, way, way too early to make the call on Bennett. Let him find his groove and we’ll see what kind of player he is in 2016.
