Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

David Benoit was an athletic NBA small forward whose smooth perimeter scoring, transition finishing, and rebounding made him a productive contributor for the Utah Jazz, New Jersey Nets, and Orlando Magic during the 1990s. An undrafted success story, Benoit thrived as a versatile complementary wing by running the floor, knocking down mid-range jumpers, and providing dependable two-way play.

Here is the information on David Benoit:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: David Benoit
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born May 9, 1968
  • Hometown: Lafayette, Louisiana, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters)
  • Weight: 220 pounds (100 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 9 inches
  • Shoe Size: Size 17 (US)
  • Number: Wore #21 during his NBA career
  • Position: Small Forward
  • High School: Lafayette High School (Lafayette, Louisiana)
  • College: University of Alabama (1986–1990)
  • NBA Draft: Undrafted in 1990 NBA Draft (signed as a free agent)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Utah Jazz (1991–1996, 1997–2000)
    • New Jersey Nets (1996–1997)
    • Played overseas in Spain, China, and Japan
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: Information not widely publicized
  • Siblings: Information not publicly available

Player Archetype / Play Style

David Benoit’s player archetype was that of an athletic stretch forward, a rangy wing-forward who gave teams spot-up shooting, transition finishing, and complementary scoring without needing the ball for long stretches. Defensively, he fit best as a mobile team defender who could contest on the perimeter, use his length around the lane, and rebound his position, though he was more useful as an active secondary piece than as a true lockdown stopper. Offensively, Benoit worked as a floor-spacing forward who could run the lane, hit open jumpers, and capitalize on ball movement, with his best stretches coming when he played decisively and let his shooting and activity do the work. Physically, he brought good size for a forward at 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, and his overall play style blended athleticism, perimeter touch, and energy in a way that made him a valuable supporting scorer for Utah during his peak years. (NBA)

Scouting Report

David Benoit always struck me as the kind of forward who understood exactly where the next opening was likely to appear before the defence did. He wasn’t interested in pounding the ball or manufacturing difficult offence; he thrived by reading the floor, lifting out of the corners at the right moment, relocating after drives and slipping into space where a late rotation became an easy catch-and-shoot opportunity. That’s where his game had real value. He could attack a hard closeout with one or two controlled dribbles, finish with length, or make the simple pass before help collapsed, keeping possessions moving instead of stopping them. The first thing you notice defensively is how disciplined he was guarding within a team structure. He stayed connected to shooters, rotated from the weak side without gambling for steals and used his size to contest jumpers rather than chasing highlight blocks, although stronger forwards could push him deeper than he wanted on post seals and he wasn’t the type to consistently erase mistakes at the rim. His offensive game also had limits because he rarely created quality looks against a settled defence if he was asked to operate as the primary option. Give him movement around him, though, and his feel became much more apparent. He fit naturally into lineups that valued spacing, extra passes and quick decisions, whether working from simple pick-and-pop actions or flowing into secondary offence after the initial advantage had already been created. To me, there were shades of Pat Garrity in the way he found scoring chances without dominating possessions, while some of his off-ball movement and willingness to keep the ball moving echoed Walt Williams. It’s easy to overlook players like Benoit because so much of what they do happens between touches, but that quiet understanding of timing was what consistently made his offensive possessions work.

Notes:

  • Similar players to David Benoit include Calbert Cheaney.

Sources:

NBA.com — David Benoit | Forward | Utah Jazz
Basketball-Reference — David Benoit Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
Deseret News — TIME BEING, BENOIT IS HIT ‘N’ MISS
Deseret News — JAZZ GROUND ROCKET-LAUNCHERS