Weaknesses: At just 6’8, he goes from overpowering center in college to undersized power forward in the pros… He won’t be able to push people around at the next level the way he did in college… He lacks explosiveness and athleticism, and has not shown the ability to face up… he struggles putting the ball on the floor with minimal ball handling skills, while a face-up aspect of his game is not much of a threat… Although it’s been reported he can knock down jump shots in a private workout setting, his outside game was non-existent at Louisville… His lack of explosiveness and poor leaping abilities prevent him from being a presence on the defensive glass, bringing in a total of 3.8 defensive rebound per game, a weak number considering his size and strength advantage over most at the collegiate level… He lacks lateral quickness and height, limiting him to the possibility of only being able to guard players who have the same physical characteristics as himself…

Overall: Samuels has a good feel for the game in the post, and uses his body well to give himself the best possible scoring opportunity down low… He entered college as one of the top recruits in the country, however his game translates more to role player at best, providing some inside scoring and interior presence… It wouldn’t hurt for him to lose a few pounds in order to improve his agility, which would give him a better shot at being drafted earlier in the 2nd round as opposed to the end…

Jonathan Wasserman 6/22/10

YouTube Clip – 4/9/2008