Realistic Expectations for Phoenix Suns Rookie Dragan Bender in 2016-17

The Phoenix Suns passed on a number of productive college players to grab Maccabi Tel Aviv's Dragan Bender at No. 4 in the NBA draft.

Bender's long-term upside makes the pick a home run for a team that's in no position to compete out West any time soon. He's built up hype over the years with flashes of eye-opening versatility during FIBA tournaments, Eurocamp, Basketball Without Borders and other scouting showcase events. Now it's a matter of whether he can convert those flashes into consistency.

Having played just 12.9 minutes a game overseas in 2015-16, Bender, the youngest player in Las Vegas Summer League at 18 years old, fits the description of a textbook project. Expectations must be…