Suns' Dragan Bender: Puts up shots during warmups Sunday

Bender (ankle) was able to get up some shots on the court during the Suns' pregame warmup Sunday, Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic reports.

Analysis:

Bender has been sidelined since early February after requiring surgery on his right ankle, but the Suns haven't closed the door on him returning at some point during the final two and a half weeks of the season. He's been out of a walking boot for more than a month and may only need to regain conditioning at this point following the long layoff. Once he's cleared to play, Bender would likely serve as the top backup at power forward to Marquese Chriss, resulting in fewer minutes for veteran Jared Dudley.