Steve Nash on newest Houston Rocket D.J. Strawberry

In July of 2007, I watched D.J. Strawberry (the player Houston recently acquired from Phoenix) take part in the Steve Nash Charity Classic. After the game, Nash had these thoughts on Strawberry: 

"Alando (Tucker) and DJ were great. We are excited to have them both. Two super guys. Great athletes. They play hard, they play the right way. Great teammates, so very exciting to have those guys."

"They (Tucker and Strawberry) are going to give us depth. They are going to give us energy. They are going to give us I think a better spirit, you know. Two guys that are happy to be there, busting there butts in lay-up lines and in practice. They are going to help the team." ( Steve Nash, July 2007 in Vancouver, BC)

My Quick Take: Houston acquired arguably the best athlete in the 2007 draft. Strawberry barely played last year, but the swing is a thoroughbred with heaps of potential. Every media head at the Nash Charity game was amazed with his quickness and leaping.

A year ago, Phoenix was trying to find him a roster spot and eventually signed him to a minimum contract. However, the Suns have a new coach and philosophy, so priorities have apparently changed.

Strawberry is explosive, raw, and reminds me of a young Gerald Wallace. Wallace, like Strawberry, rarely played his first season with Sacramento.

The Rockets have landed a dynamic athlete, who could develop into a useful rotation player.

Do you think Strawberry will help Houston? Get at us in the comment box below and come back to HoopsVibe The Blog for more NBA tidbits. Part of this article appeared in an earlier post on HoopsVibe The Blog. Photo courtesy of LightforAll.