This past year has been one of extreme highs and lows for Houston Rockets big man Donatas Motiejunas. Sunday he celebrated his 25th birthday and enters the beginning of what should be the prime of his career.
It’s not unusual for big men to develop at a slower pace compared to their back court counterparts. Players like Motiejunas who have demonstrated the ability to play either power forward or center are rare. It’s also unusual to find a big who is equally adept at working in the paint or can spread the court.
Young big men tend to become specialists in either one area of the court or the other and even fewer are a legitimate 7 feet tall.