Another projected lottery pick in the 2013 NBA Draft will be recovering from surgery when he hears his name called on draft night on June 27 in Brooklyn.
UNLV freshman forward Anthony Bennett will need surgery on his rotator cuff on his left shoulder, according to his agent Jeff Schwartz. The surgery will sideline the 6-foot-7 forward for as many as four months, meaning that Bennett will miss pre-draft workouts and the NBA Draft Combine. Which every team drafts Bennett will not expect him to play in the summer league either.
Chad Ford, ESPN’s NBA Insider spoke to two NBA general managers and neither believe this will cause Bennett to fall from his current projected spot.
“You always would prefer a guy is healthy, works out for you and can play in summer league,” one GM told ESPN. “However, I don’t think in this case that it will really matter. We got a good feel for his game. He’s one of the most NBA-ready prospects in the draft. I wouldn’t blink taking him in the Top 5 as long as the surgery is successful.”
Ford has Bennett at No. 4 overall while he is projected as the No.3 overall pick by DraftExpress.com.
Maryland’s Alex Len announced he’d be out six months following ankle surgery. Nerlens Noel, expected to be the top pick in two months, is still recovering from a torn ACL.
Bennett was one of the top freshmen in the country this season for the Runnin’ Rebels averaging 16.1 and 8.1 rebounds per game in his only season in Vegas.Minor Setback , Major Comeback #BestBelieveThat
— Anthony Bennett (@AnthonyBennett) May 7, 2013
Terrence is also the lead writer at NEHoopNews.com and can be followed on Twitter: @terrence_payne