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April 27, 2024

Pro basketball:

Bennett has something to prove in sophomore year in NBA

Former UNLV big man disappointed in Cleveland last year but gets a fresh start in Minnesota

Bennett2

Stephen R. Sylvanie / Special to the sun

Anthony Bennett wipes his eyes as UNLV Runnin’ Rebels head coach Dave Rice fields questions about Bennett and his decision to leave the program after his freshman campaign to enter the NBA draft during a press conference on Monday, April 1, 2013, at UNLV.

Anthony Bennett - Beast Mode

UNLV forward Anthony Bennett dunks during their game against UNI Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 at the Thomas & Mack. UNLV won 73-59 to push their record to 10-1. Launch slideshow »

It happened after a Timberwolves preseason game last week at Target Center.

Power forward Anthony Bennett had just scored 17 points in 17 minutes. He had run the court like a guard, rebounded like a center; at one point in the game he had stolen the ball at one end and finished the break at the other.

Draped in towels, Bennett made his way to his locker, dressed, then turned to see a bunch of media members waiting for him.

He seemed surprised. He quickly stood, straightening his shirt, before a Wolves PR member told him it was OK to sit. Surrounded, Bennett looked up and smiled. So how does this feel?

“Definitely a huge difference,” Bennett said.

At least publicly, Bennett is a man of few words. But listen, and you hear the message loud and clear:

This is different.

For the first time in a long time — more than a year — Bennett feels healthy, physically fit, a part of his team. A season ago, there was pressure; now there is promise. A year ago it was great expectations, now great opportunity.

Bennett has a muscular 6-foot-8 frame and long arms that give him a reach of 7 feet, 4 inches. His college coach, UNLV’s Dave Rice, played collegiately with former NBA star Larry Johnson and says Bennett could be Johnson version 2.0. Bennett is powerful enough to get position, quick enough to get two hands on a rebound, skilled enough to eventually stretch a defense with his jump shot.

And now he has a mission.

A year ago, Bennett was the surprise first overall pick in the 2013 NBA draft by Cleveland. But shoulder surgery impacted his summer training and he came to camp out of shape. Asked to play a new position — small forward — Bennett stumbled out of the gate and never found his footing. What ensued was a worst-case scenario: a disappointing rookie season of epic proportions.

Just weeks into the season, people were calling his No. 1 selection a mistake. Before he even turned 21 last spring, people were already calling him a bust.

Bennett is determined to prove the doubters wrong.

“His book is not done being written,” said Randy Osei, a friend since meeting Bennett while playing AAU ball in Toronto. Osei was with Bennett two years ago in Las Vegas and last season in Cleveland. He was there in late August when Bennett came to the Wolves as part of the Kevin Love trade.

He was there last week, waiting, when Bennett emerged from the locker room.

“Last year was Chapter 1,” Osei continued. “Now we’re at Chapter 2. And I think that will make people forget about Chapter 1.”

Rough pro start

Bennett had raised his draft stock with a freshman season at UNLV in which he led an NCAA tournament-bound team in scoring (16.1) and rebounding (8.1) while shooting 53.3 percent overall, 37.5 percent on 3-pointers.

But, during the season, he injured his left shoulder. He played through it but had surgery in May 2013 to repair a torn labrum.

The surgery forced him to miss predraft workouts. After being taken No. 1, Bennett was unable to play in the summer league and wasn’t ready to be on a court until right before training camp started.

He was out of shape and, as it turned out, perhaps out of position. The Cavs had a plethora of power forwards, so they moved Bennett to the three spot. Bennett was simultaneously trying to get in shape, trying to learn a new position and trying to fit in with his team.

He missed his first 16 shots, over five games, to start the season. He struggled from November through January. Although his game eventually improved, it appeared the Cavs already had moved on.

“He’s a great young man who cares about what other people think,” Rice said. “I think he felt he was letting people down. He wants to make his coaches happy, his teammates happy. That is important to him.”

Normally a gregarious friend, Bennett would come home from games and want to be alone.

“Sometimes I would just listen to music,” Bennett said. “Sometimes I’d just to go bed early to get away from things.”

But escape isn’t always easy.

“Last year was tough, I mean tough,” Osei said. “It was weighing him down. It was heavy on his heart.”

If Bennett tried to avoid the media, Osei read everything. Online, in papers, on Twitter. “It was harsh,” he said.

Not long after the season was over Rice sent a photo to Bennett of him playing at UNLV, when he was healthy and in shape. Bennett used it as motivation. He started working out. His shoulder felt good and he was getting into shape. He had offseason surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids, which allowed him to sleep better.

But not until after the trade did the change really start.

Immediately Flip Saunders, Wolves president of basketball operations and head coach, told Bennett he’d be back at power forward. At the same time, Bennett started getting tons of texts from his new teammates.

“The Timberwolves have made him feel welcome,” Osei said. “He is a part of the team. He’s comfortable. That is the biggest thing. Now he can just go out and play.”

Retooled body

At the Wolves’ suggestion, Bennett went to California along with Ronny Turiaf and former Bishop Gorman High player Shabazz Muhammad to work with old-school trainer Frank Matrisciano.

Osie went with him. In between grueling two-a-day training sessions, Osei and Bennett would watch game film from Bennett’s time at UNLV. By the time Bennett got back to Minnesota for training camp he was down in weight — he is currently about 235, 20 or so pounds fewer than last year — and filled up with confidence.

He was a year older, a whole lot wiser. Rice is convinced that having survived a difficult first year will make Bennett stronger.

“There is no question he has a little bit of a chip on his shoulder from last year,” Saunders said. “He went to California and changed his body. He has found his confidence. And now we are going to do whatever we need to do to help him be the player he can be.”

Nobody is really sure what kind of player that is. Bennett is grateful being back at power forward, where he backs up Thaddeus Young. Bennett is being counted on to produce, but he is flying under the radar compared to last season.

“That will benefit him,” Rice said. “He wants to get back to being a part of a team. There was so much pressure on him last year.”

Bennett can’t wait.

“From training camp, there has been team chemistry,” he said. “Everybody likes to pass. Everybody is unselfish. That’s why I feel this could be a nice spot for me.”

A turnaround coming?

Last season thickened Bennett’s skin, made him tougher.

“I know it can’t get much worse,” he said.

But the only statement he wants to make is for himself.

“People talk, they have their opinions,” he said. “But I’m doing this for me.”

And so, during the preseason — despite the occasional sore left knee — Bennett has just played.

In his preseason debut Oct. 10, Bennett made six of 13 shots and scored 13 points with eight rebounds.

A week later in Milwaukee, Bennett had 12 points and 11 rebounds. And then there were 17-point efforts twice last week. Maybe it’s time to start writing that new chapter.

“Anthony has been written off by some,” Osei said. “And that’s fine.

“He can come in under the radar, get his 15, 20, 25 minutes a game. He’s going to work. And he’s going to shut up a lot of people.”

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