D. J. Strawberry
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| Phoenix Suns | |
|---|---|
| Position | Point guard/Shooting guard |
| Personal information | |
| Born | June 15, 1985 New York, New York |
| Nationality | USA |
| Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Mater Dei High School |
| College | Maryland |
| NBA draft | 2007: 2nd round, 59th overall |
| Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
| Playing career | 2007–present |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
Darryl Eugene Strawberry, Jr. or simply D.J. (born 15 June, 1985) is a professional basketball player for the NBA's Phoenix Suns. He is the son of former Major League Baseball player Darryl Strawberry and the nephew of former college basketball standout and University of Arizona assistant men's basketball coach Miles Simon. He was drafted in the second round, 59th overall, by the Suns in the 2007 NBA Draft.
High school
A graduate of Mater Dei High School, Strawberry built a reputation for hard-nosed defense. During his senior year, he was involved in a nationally-televised matchup against St. Vincent - St. Mary High School of Akron, Ohio, where he was assigned the task of defending their star player and future NBA superstar LeBron James. Strawberry was lauded for his efforts, which included holding James to a 33% shooting performance (0-for-8 from beyond the three-point line) and forcing him into seven turnovers.
College
At 6-feet 5-inches tall, Strawberry assumed the role of a swingman for the Terrapins, and he was much valued for his on-the-ball defense. He averaged nearly 2 steals per game, leading his team in that category. He was also valued for his off-the-bench intensity; it is felt that Maryland's absence from the 2005 NCAA Tournament was due in no small part to a season-ending ACL injury Strawberry suffered in mid-January of that year.
While he was primarily a swingman, a lack of depth pressed Strawberry into the role of point guard during his junior year. He had various degrees of success in this new role, leading the team in both assists per game (4.0) and turnovers per game (2.9).
Strawberry received Honorable Mention All-ACC Freshman honors. During his junior year, he received Honorable Mention All-ACC Defensive Team honors. He is the eighth player in Maryland history to lead the team in both steals and assists.
In his senior season he was voted to second team All-ACC
Scouting Report
DJ Strawberry went by all account under the radar when you consider that he offers plenty on both sides of the ball. DJ displayed intensity on defense and a knack for scoring on offense. That normally is enough to get 6-5 combo-guard drafted, but the 2007 NBA Draft is potentially one of the deepest in NBA history. It took a team to overlook his injured past, and change of position while at Maryland. All in all this seems actually one of the safer picks in the 2007 NBA Draft.
Computer-aided scouting ran this report on DJ Strawberry.
- Rated 18th of NCAA players turning pro in 2007.
- Rated 28th overall for all Mens Division I basketball in 2007.
- Rated out 85.1 as combo-guard (Comparisons: 85.9 Mustafa Shakur, returning Maryland Terrapin player Greivis Vasquez 81.4, and in 2004 Devin Harris 85.5).
Will make a better addition to a team that will allow a secondary offense to be run through him. Possibly a career backup if he does not mentally understand and control the game within the game. A player definitely being overlooked due to a prior ACL injury.
Professional career
D.J. Strawberry was drafted by the Phoenix Suns with the 59th selection in the 2007 NBA Draft. He was signed on August 28, 2007 he signed a two year contract [1].
References
For more articles and info on DJ Strawberry: