Sorry Ben Bentil fans, but the No. 51 pick out of Providence isn't making the Celtics


As a guy who put up big numbers for a local school last season, a great number of Boston fans are rooting hard for Providence College's Ben Bentil.  He slipped further than expected in the draft (51st overall) and many believe Bentil has what it takes to make it in the NBA.

Unfortunately, it's not going to be with the 2016-17 Celtics.

The C's have already completed five of the seven preseason games on their schedule and Bentil has appeared in just one of them (12 minutes in a 104-86 blowout of the Hornets on October 8).  Three other players have only managed to see the floor once this exhibition season (all in the same game): Marcus Georges-Hunt, Jalen Jones and Damion Lee.  Those are the guys who's sole purpose with the team is to serve as practice bodies on the 20-man training-camp roster.

By comparison, here are the minutes logged so far by the players who may actually be competing for the final positions on the 15-man regular-season roster, all of whom have entered at least four contests (except Green, who missed the first two with a hip flexor injury):

James Young - 77
Jordan Mickey - 69
RJ Hunter - 66
Gerald Green - 44
Demetrius Jackson - 38

Bentil isn't even getting a serious look.  His only chance to make the squad requires some kind of roster-trimming deal by Danny Ainge that nets Boston two available spots (one of the players listed above must also be let to), a highly unlikely scenario.

But hey, at least Bentil will take home a nice $250,000 from his partially guaranteed contract for only a preseason's worth of work.




Follow Mark Van Deusen on Twitter @LucidSportsFan