D.J. Strawberry waited and waited and waited. He sat through almost five hours of ESPN’s NBA Draft coverage before finally seeing his name pop onto the screen as a current selection.
Strawberry was the next-to-last player drafted – No. 59 overall by the Phoenix Suns – last Thursday night, becoming the first Terrapin men’s basketball player to be selected since Steve Blake in 2003.
“It was a long night for me,” Strawberry said Friday during his introductory press conference in Phoenix. “This is where I wanted to play. It’s just an honor to be here. I’m just ready to come in and work hard.”
In order for Strawberry to make the team, he will have to work hard, specifically on defense. During the pre-draft camps and workouts, Strawberry’s stock shot up, and it more than likely was the reason he snuck into the second round. He is being compared to players like Bruce Bowen and Raja Bell, who have forged successful careers in the NBA by playing hard-nosed defense.
Strawberry will begin his career on Monday when the Suns play in the Las Vegas summer league.
“I have a lot to learn,” Strawberry said. “I have a lot to work on. I have to get a lot better in a lot of areas, and I’m just looking forward to the challenge. Being a competitor, this is what you look forward too, and I’m a competitor, and I’m going to compete every day.”
In his four years with the Terps, Strawberry experienced several highs and lows. During his freshman year, he was part of the Terps’ ACC Championship team. In his sophomore year, he tore his anterior cruciate ligament early in the season. His junior year, the Terps lost at home in the first round of the NIT, and his senior year, Strawberry led the team back to the NCAA tournament after a two-year hiatus.
Strawberry’s experience with the Terps was one of the things that tried trading up in the draft to get him.
“I believe strongly in life experience [and] in playing experience,” Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr said. “I think players these days who come out early miss a big part of the natural progression of becoming a good basketball player and growing up, becoming a man.
“That’s one of the things that attracted us to [Strawberry and first-round draft pick Alando Tucker]. They’ve been through a lot. Both come from big-time basketball programs. Both have played in a lot of games. They’ve learned how to be good teammates, and they’ve learned how to be coachable. Those are absolute things that factored into our decision.”
Phoenix may be a great fit for Strawberry or it may be a terrible place for the 6-foot-5-inch guard.
The Suns love to play a fast-paced style and get up and down the court – the kind of play that Strawberry thrived in with the Terps. The Suns could also use Strawberry’s grit and toughness, as they were bullied around by San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals.
But Phoenix coach Mike D’Antoni tends to favor players who can shoot the ball, which is not Strawberry’s strong point.
“We’re trying to win a championship next year,” D’Antoni said. “These are guys that we expect something from. They have a really good shot at contributing immediately, and that’s what we need.”
n TERP NOTES: Neither Ekene Ibekwe nor Mike Jones was drafted. Ibekwe, however, was invited by the Miami Heat to play on a summer league team.
Contact reporter Andrew Zuckerman at zuckermandbk@gmail.com.
