D.J. Strawberry, 6-4, PG/SG, Maryland Jonathan Watters Strawberry appears on these teams thanks to an absolutely stellar game three performance, where he completely changed the flow of the game on both ends of the court. Strawberry has always defended as well as just about any guard in the country and he continued to do that here in Orlando, but in the first two games the same lack of offensive pop that kept him off of draft boards his entire college career was quite evident. That changed in game three. Strawberry had been showing off better form on his outside jumper during the drills all week, and finally started draining shots in the final official contest. These weren’t 3-pointers, but we have never seen Strawberry look so comfortable putting the ball in the basket. He scored a decent amount at Maryland, but would tend to go through long cold stretches and rarely showed much of an instinct for scoring of any type. But in this game he was hitting contested midrange jumpers, pulling up off the dribble, and slashing all the way to the basket. The offensive success seemed to spur further intensity on the defensive end, where he actually turned it up a notch, wreaking havoc all over the court. This could have been the most complete and impactful performance of the camp, if more than a handful of scouts had actually seen it. So it will be interesting to find out if Strawberry was able to help his stock here, because he didn’t show anything we hadn’t already seen in the first two games. But in case you’re a GM and you missed it, Strawberry has the potential to bring a lot to the table as a roleplayer in the NBA. He isn’t a natural point guard, and has struggled whenever he was asked to run the show at Maryland. That didn’t change here, but he does have some appeal as a secondary ball-handler off the bench. He has the athleticism and court sense to push the tempo in the open court, and only starts to struggle when forced to slow down and make team-running decisions. And on the other end, he most certainly can defend point guards. At a solidly built 6’4, Strawberry has what it takes to be a pest. His shooting and all-around scoring has always been the knock, so if Strawberry can repeat his game three showing in a workout or two, he might end up hearing his name called on draft night. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- If this kid doesn't get drafted, which I'm expecting, the Rockets would be wise to invite him to their summer camp. Without a doubt, one of the best perimeter defenders I've ever seen on any level. His offense is sketchy, but I wouldn't say its as bad as the review seems. He shot 46.1% over his career at Maryland, and was around 35% from three his last two years. That 3pt percentage isn't very appealing, but only ~1/4th of his shots came from behind the college arc, so he clearly isn't someone just jacking up shots he can't make. My only real beef with his offense is that sometimes he shy's away too much... it's not that he goes cold, its just that he plain doesn't shoot the ball. UMD had to play him at PG for a while and I think that mentality is still ingrained in him, though it did help his ball handling tremendously. But overall, you've got respectable shooting and playmaking, ball handling abilities, an NBA ready body and IQ, very good tweener ability -- he's a long-armed 6'5 with quickness and can play back-up minutes at PG and SG, and some of the best perimeter defense in the league... sounds like a very solid fit as a role player, especially if his shooting continues to progress as it has.
Sorry, here's the link to the article, as well as a few others http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprofile.php?p=1076
he'll get drafted somewhere in the middle-late 2nd round. should be a good role player for some team.
lol yeah... when Kevin Durant is ranked 78/80, I don't care what you're comparing, it does not mean a thing.
