Raptors' GM Ujiri: Anthony Bennett's development 'not a 1-year thing'
Anthony Bennett's decision to join his hometown Toronto Raptors generated plenty of fanfare. After all, here was a fallen No. 1 selection looking to start over where it all began - a chance for Bennett to resuscitate his career.
The Raptors, meanwhile, are setting the bar fairly low. After two massively disappointing years to start his career, the Raptors are simply trying to create a low-pressure environment for Bennett to develop.
"We look at giving Anthony an opportunity to actually grow and be a player," Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri told Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports.
"It's not a one-year thing here. It's going to take time. All that No. 1 pick and all that stuff, we had a conversation with him. Let's move on from that. Now it's about how you become a very good NBA player, which we all know he can be," Ujiri said.
Ujiri's patience with Bennett is telling. The Raptors signed him to a one-year deal, but the focus isn't on immediate production. Instead, Ujiri is willing to wait on the 22-year-old and allow him to grow, while opening up the opportunity for another team to reap the benefits when Bennett becomes a free agent next summer.
As for the No. 1 pick label, there's plenty of good reasons to shed that moniker. Bennett's pedestrian averages of 4.7 points and 3.4 rebounds suggest he's more likely to become an average rotation player, instead of blossoming into an All-Star.
Raptors head coach Dwane Casey echoed Ujiri's sentiments.
"The (pressure) is off. Just come in and play basketball. There are no expectations. We don't expect him to come in and be the so-called No. 1 pick. Coming back to Toronto having to live up to that, I thought that would be the biggest hurdle. It hasn't been."
Aside from his on-court woes, Bennett has also struggled to stay healthy, as he missed 55 games over his first two seasons between bouts of eye, sleep apnea, and shoulder issues. Altogether, his lack of production led to Bennett being traded after his rookie season, then waived after his sophomore campaign.
Regaining his health should be the first step in Bennett's comeback campaign. After that, Bennett can turn his focus towards climbing the Raptors' depth chart. The Raptors have Patrick Patterson and Luis Scola ahead of him in the pecking order, but that could change if Bennett shows enough development.
"All that pressure has been lifted by being bought out, almost hitting rock bottom so to speak. Now he's getting another chance to come out and play," Casey added.