2011 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Donatas Motiejunas



Written by Paul Banks of NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
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2011 NBA Draft Scouting Report: Donatas Motiejunas


Position: Power Forward

Size: 7-0, 215

School: Lithuania, 1990


Strengths:
  • Outside shooting
  • Can take defenders off the dribble
  • A touch matchup on the perimeter due to his driving ability
  • Ball-handling skills
  • Great quickness and mobility for a seven-footer
  • Runs the floor well
  • Good touch around the basket
  • Variety of moves on the block
  • Developing a Dirk Nowitzki-like fadeaway jumper when posting up
  • A lefty who is fluid attacking and finishing with his right
  • Only 19 years old, so his upside is incredibly high



    Weaknesses:
  • Strength
  • Will have to adapt to the more physical NBA
  • Handling contact when he has the ball and finishing with more agressiveness
  • A liability defensively in the paint and on the perimeter
  • Rebounding

    Summary: Motiejunas pulled his name out of the 2010 NBA Draft because his stock was beginning to fall and it was unlikely that he was going to be taken in the lottery. He is an extremely talented big man, but still needs some time to develop his all-around game and overall strength. He likely will not be a big contributor early in his career, but if he continues to take strides in Europe, the potential is limitless with the strong possibility of him being a top-10 pick. How he adapts to the NBA will determine if his career is more Nowitzki or Tskitishvili-like.

    Player Comparison: Andrea Bargnani. Like Bargnani, Motiejunas is a perimeter-based, Euro big man. Despite Bargnani’s height, he is at his best on the perimeter knocking down outside shots and stretching out defenses. Motiejunas is in a similar mold but probably a little more dangerous off the attack than Bargnani was at this age. Motiejunas will need to become more physical and stronger if he is going to have a better NBA career than Bargnani.





    RELATED LINKS:


    2010 NBA Mock Draft


    2010 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings


    2010 NBA Draft Scouting Reports








    Written by Paul Banks of NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
    Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
    All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: [email protected]




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