Suns' Dragan Bender: Preseason- best scoring total Friday

Bender posted a preseason-high 11 points (4-9 FG, 2-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), along with seven rebounds and an assist over 26 minutes in Friday's 112-107 preseason win over the Mavs.

Analysis:

Bender had logged four unremarkable performances before Friday, but his production against the Mavs certainly provided reason for optimism. Not only was the 18-year-old's scoring total a personal best, but so were the seven boards he hauled in. Bender also drained multiple threes for the first time, flashing the surprising outside shot he possesses for a seven-footer. Although he's undeniably a long-term project, the rookie's tantalizing potential should help him carve out some minutes this season in what is shaping up as a fairly deep Phoenix frontcourt.