The pressure is on a quiet 7-footer to make some long-awaited noise
On the rare occasions when Jonathan Bender speaks, his voice is so soft that the listener must lean in to hear him. So while it may not be the best choice of phrase to call this a put-up-or-shut-up season for the 23-year-old forward, there's a pervasive sense in Indiana that Bender will either have a breakout year or be tagged a bust. "It's time for me to deliver," he says. "Actually it's past time."
Since he was plucked out of Picayune (Miss.) Memorial High with the fifth pick in the 1999 draft, Bender has displayed a rare blend of height (7 feet), athleticism (a 39-inch vertical leap) and touch. (His shooting percentage has risen every year.) Says All-Star forward Jermaine O'Neal flatly, "JB is the most talented player on this team." But Bender has been injured for much of his career; he missed all but 21 games in 2003-04 after surgery on his left knee. When he has played, he has at times been tentative and unable to hold position in the low post.
Still, his flashes of brilliance were frequent enough that the Pacers felt comfortable dealing 6'9" sixth man Al Harrington to the Hawks for swingman Stephen Jackson, a move that will free up considerable minutes at power forward. Asked by reporters whether the trade will upgrade Bender's role, team president Larry Bird smirked and said, "It better!"
Hoping to seize the opportunity, Bender worked out daily over the summer with trainer Macki Shillstone in New Orleans. He reported to training camp conspicuously stronger at 235 pounds -- up 15 from a year ago -- and spent early sessions firmly planted in the interior. "The trade meant that a good friend won't be around," he says of Harrington. "But I'm trying to see it as a blessing in disguise. I'm finally healthy, and I just need to deliver." -- L. Jon Wertheim
