Lessons Anthony Bennett Should Be Learning from Cavs Teammates
It's common for rookies coming into the NBA to want to pick the brains of their teammates, trying to gain whatever knowledge and help they can.
Boy, does Anthony Bennett have a lot of picking to do.
The first overall selection of the 2013 draft is struggling out of the gate, averaging just 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in his first 20 games.
Lucky for him, however, help can be found throughout the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room.
Here are five current Cavs that Bennett should be seeking out for advice and the lessons that they can bestow upon him to turn his rookie year around.
Andrew Bynum
1 of 5
Lesson: Stay Patient
Back in 2005, Andrew Bynum was the first-round pick (10th overall) of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Coming to LA, expectations were sky-high.
The team had struggled the year before, but brought back legendary coach Phil Jackson, who had won three championships with the Lakers earlier that decade.
Bynum was now part of a veteran LA team featuring Jim Jackson, Aaron McKie, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant. Despite being a lottery pick, Bynum struggled to see the court, playing behind the likes of Chris Mihm and even Kwame Brown.
For the season, he averaged just 1.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 7.3 minutes per game. His per-36 stat line is actually quite similar to Bennett's this season. Bynum put together 7.9 points and 8.5 rebounds over 36 minutes, while Bennett is producing 7.8 points and 7.1 rebounds in the same amount of time.
Bynum had an awful rookie year, but the Lakers weren't ready to write him off just yet.
By year three, Bynum had a grip on the starting center job and averaged 13.1 points and 10.2 rebounds in his 28.8 minutes a night.
Bynum didn't take the league by storm, but years of hard work and development have obviously paid off.
Tristan Thompson
2 of 5
Lesson: Take Pride in Who You're Playing For
Tristan Thompson was one of the very first Cavaliers to offer Bennett some pointers.
During a preseason game against the Orlando Magic, Thompson pulled a struggling Bennett to the side to offer some quick advice. Apparently what he said worked, as Bennett would go on to score 14 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 16 for the game in a Cavs win.
Bennett later revealed this wisdom to sideline reporter Allie Clifton, saying, "He just basically said go hard you know, got to do it for Toronto and got to do it for the Cleveland Cavaliers and this organization."
Both Bennett and Thompson are from Toronto, Ontario and played their high school ball at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev. A lot of what Bennett is experiencing, Thompson has already gone through.
The main lesson here is take pride in where you're from and who you play for.
Every player needs an edge, or something to motivate them, when on the court.
Thompson is helping Bennett find his.
Anderson Varejao
3 of 5
Lesson: Listen to the Vets
Your teammates should be there for you, on and off the court.
When Anderson Varejao came into the league back in 2004, the floppy-haired 22-year-old took to the veterans for help.
Varejao talked about his rookie season recently, especially which players had an impact on him, in an interview with Cavs.com:
"Well, of course, Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas) did. Scott Williams was good to me, too. I hung out a little bit with Lucious Harris. I hung out with Drew Gooden, Tractor Traylor for a little bit. Jeff McInnis. They all were good to me. But they were all cool to me; they all helped me a lot.
"
Now, Varejao had it a lot rougher off the court than Bennett does, simply because of the difference in culture.
While Bennett hails from another country like Varejao, being from Canada is hardly as much of an adjustment as Brazil. Varejao also didn't speak any English when he first came to Cleveland, making what we feel are simple tasks very difficult for him.
Varejao got through by relying on veteran players for help, something Bennett would be wise to do.
Dion Waiters
4 of 5
Lesson: Ignore the Criticism
Right before the 2012 NBA draft, it was unclear where Dion Waiters would end up.
Chad Ford of ESPN had Waiters projected to go No. 7 overall to the Golden State Warriors, although many had him in the mid-to-late first round.
The Cavs shocked a lot of people when they took Waiters fourth overall, ahead of players like Harrison Barnes and Andre Drummond.
While it's still too early to tell if he was the right pick or not, Waiters has impressed a lot of people in this, his second year. In his new role as the team's sixth man, Waiters is averaging 15.9 points on 45.5 percent shooting. So far, Waiters is being more aggressive getting to the basket and taking less contested jumpers.
Waiters has faced a lot of criticism from both draft experts and fans who wanted Barnes or Drummond instead. Following his strong play of late, those loud complaints have now turned into faint whispers.
Bennett would also be wise to ignore the critics and focus entirely on basketball.
Like Waiters, Bennett just needs to keep being aggressive and let his play do the talking.
Kyrie Irving
5 of 5
Lesson: Handle the Pressure
Kyrie Irving is the only Cavalier that can relate to the pressure of being the first overall pick.
The first name called in the 2011 draft, Irving faced a much tougher assignment than Bennett. While Bennett already had a solid starter in front of him, Irving had to take over as the face of the franchise immediately.
Irving not only rose to the challenge, but many would say he exceeded his rookie expectations. At just 19, Irving went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year while averaging 18.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Through countless interviews, road trips, injuries and losing streaks, Irving never let the stress break him.
Right now, Bennett is catching a lot of heat around the league for his historically bad start.
Irving should be right there to stand up for his fellow No. 1 pick and help him handle the incredible amount of pressure put on someone in his position.
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