Anthony Bennett Assigned to D-League, Will Play vs. Kings
Anthony Bennett has played just 48 minutes this year after joining the Toronto Raptors, and the former No. 1 overall draft pick will have an opportunity to get a little more playing time after being assigned to the team's NBA D-League affiliate.
The Raptors announced Sunday that Bennett will join Raptors 905 for the day's game against the Delaware 87ers. According to Blake Murphy of Raptors Republic, Bennett will then immediately be available for the Raptors' matchup Sunday with the Sacramento Kings.
"Anthony came to us asking to use this doubleheader as an opportunity work on his game," said Jeff Weltman, the Raptors' executive vice president of basketball operations, per Raptors 905's official site. "This is an example of how we envisioned using our D-League team to improve our players."
Moving down to the D-League is arguably the best option for Bennett at this point in his career, even if it means quite a fall from grace for the 22-year-old. According to TSN's Josh Lewenberg, he will be the first No. 1 pick to appear in a D-League game.
Raptors 905 commentator Meghan McPeak snapped a photo of Bennett during the team's warm-up:
Bennett has scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in nine games for Toronto this year. After his disappointing stint with the Minnesota Timberwolves, few expect him to become a perennial All-Star or live up to his draft status.
Still, the third-year forward can still become a regular contributor for an NBA team. Jermaine O'Neal is one of the more famous late bloomers, not truly emerging until his fifth year in the league and then making six trips to the All-Star Game with the Indiana Pacers.
For Bennett, playing in the D-League on a regular or semi-regular basis would be better for his overall development than sitting on the Raptors bench.
