Chinemelu Elonu

[Luffy]

Mitch already did a great job selling two of our picks straight up for cash. I wonder if our #59 pick might turn out to be a gritty energy guy like Turiaf or perhaps a weaker version of Marc Gasol. Either way, what a crazy name.

Whoever said hard work and perseverance are underrated hasn’t met Chinemelu Elonu.

Throughout his career, the recent graduate and former Texas A&M basketball player hasn’t received the same attention as recent area players who made the jump to the pros. Nonetheless, his grit, determination and heart caught the eyes of NBA scouts.

And fresh off his best season with the Aggies, Elonu entered his name in this year’s NBA draft — and stayed in, surprising a lot of people.

It was thought by many that Elonu would withdraw and return to lead the team he helped to a 24-10 record and the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Those thoughts were wrong.

“Graduation was the deciding factor for me, just being able to know that I graduated from one of the top schools in the nation,” said Elonu, who graduated in May with a degree in agricultural leadership. “Knowing that there aren’t too many big men in the draft, I felt I was ready.”
Seize the opportunity

In doing so, Elonu (6-10, 235) will forego his final season of eligibility and more than likely take advantage of a draft that has few big men with his skill set. According to nbadraft.net, only four centers are slated to be selected. Only UConn’s Hasheem Thabeet is regarded as a better shot blocker.

If Elonu had stayed at A&M, scouts predicted him to be a first-rounder in 2010.

Still, the former Elsik standout, who averaged 10 points and seven rebounds last season, could be drafted late in the first round or early in the second. Other projections list him as a possible late second-rounder.

“I just go in and give my all in each and every workout,” Elonu said. “I’m trying to let these guys know that I’m going to go in there and be tough and not give up on anything we’re doing. I want to let them know whatever they want me to do, I can fulfill for them.”

According to an NBA scout, Elonu “transitions well from college to the NBA because he’s a hard worker and tough rebounder.”

The scout also said this is the perfect time for Elonu to declare because “he’s been doing well in his workouts and his game seems to be getting better with time.”

Last season, Elonu was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection and was named the league’s most improved player after setting a school record by shooting 66.5 percent from the field. Not bad for the former soccer player who didn’t play basketball until the ninth grade.

“He’s got a pretty good upside,” one NBA scout said. “He plays strong. He can run, protect the rim and plays with no fear.”

Those aspects of his game are known all too well by his former assistant coach at A&M, Byron Smith.

“His character is impeccable; he’s one of the better kids I’ve been around,” Smith said.

In each of his three seasons at A&M, the school posted 20-win seasons and advanced to at least the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

“I have never in my life been around a kid that works as hard as Chinemelu,” Smith said. “He is head and shoulders above a lot of kids when it comes to work ethic and passion for the game. He comes early to the gym and leaves late, and he spends a lot of time in the weight room. He’s a tireless worker.”

Elonu, who exceeded expectations in predraft workouts, has catapulted himself into the discussion as a legitimate draft choice.
Defensive presence

“He’s an athletic kid that’s becoming a complete player,” Smith said. “He’s a very good shot blocker and defensive presence, but his offensive skills are catching up to those on the defensive side of the ball.”

Smith says Elonu’s game resembles that of Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao, Denver’s Chris Andersen and Philadelphia’s Theo Ratliff.

“There’s an abundance of teams that could use him,” Smith said. “He does a lot of the dirty work, plays tough defense and can help out when guys get beat on defense.”

[mnWI]

I made this thread about him the day of the withdraw date for the draft:

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=914052

I saw him at the Minnesota private workouts, and Ronnie Lester and Jim Buss both saw him at the same workout. He's improved at a rapid rate. Made the thread because none of the draft sites had really written about him.

[DubaLakers]

Mbenga & Powell if they both or one of them come back, you guys better work, he looks real good to me. Reminds me of Perkins. Tough and Nasty.

[daddyfivestar]

I like this guy. I'd take him as #13 player over Yue (480k vs 736k) at this point, can always use another 6 fouls in the bigs. I like the terms about him:
"protects the rim"
"plays with no fear"
"impeccable character"
"does a lot of the dirty work"
"plays tough defense"
"predicted to be a 2010 first rounder"

keep him Mitch.

[aussie_laker]

I like this guy. I'd take him as #13 player over Yue (480k vs 736k) at this point, can always use another 6 fouls in the bigs. I like the terms about him:
"protects the rim"
"plays with no fear"
"impeccable character"
"does a lot of the dirty work"
"plays tough defense"
"predicted to be a 2010 first rounder"

keep him Mitch.

means we MUST give him time to adjust to the NBA, and not make the mistakes some teams tend to make on players taken a year early (NYK with ariza) Give the boy time, and hopefully in 4 years time we have a beast

[lakersfanatic]

like what mitch said... we need players that can impact right now.. not a project.. Although i like this guy. At least he has more excitement then morrison. lol

[Rain_Maker]

yeh, the future first rounder seems good

lets see

Kobe
Lamar
Pau
Bynum
Fisher
Brown
Ariza
Sasha
Walton
Powell
Farmar

that is 11 players

we need two players out of these remaining player

Ammo-contract is too big and we should trade him
DJ Mbenga-Yes
Sun Yue- NO
Chinemul Elonu- Seems to have potential

so one of either DJ or ammo should stay

[DubaLakers]

Elonu looks beasty. I like him from his tape and what I've read. Watch out DJ!

[daddyfivestar]

1 year as 13th man for Elonu backing up 12th man DJ, then next year when DJ's contract is up Lakers have an automatic replacement at slim pickins of >500k this year and >750k next year.

Dude also seems smart, actually graduating from a decent school so he may be able to pick up the Tri reasonably in 1 year with the team and be ready for next year.

[DubaLakers]

Just got his degree in agriculture.

Powell, MBenga, Brown all of their contracts expired

Yue is team option, next year.

[KingLakers]

Powell's and DJ's contacts haven't expired the Lakers also have team options on both.

[daddyfivestar]

http://www.storytellerscontracts.info/r ... laries.htm

good salary site with multi-year whole team snapshot

[Erik Eleven]

Welcome to LA, Chinemelu Elonu! I hope you're good enough for PT in the somewhat near future.

Just be prepared to get your name slaughtered. You need to spread your previous nicknames to the media, and you need to do it now! Some Lakers fans can't even spot the difference between Farmar and Farmer. What will they turn Chinemelu Elonu into? Chihuahua Relleno? We'll see.

[KObe Bryant]

he sounds good. Looking forward to this guy.

[salmahayek]

It looks like an astute addition by Mitch and Co.

[LAKESHOW]

i like this guy. the only problem is, when the rash of fouls hits, like in the finals, that sits pau. that sits bynum. then we MUST have another 7footer in there, so we brought in mbenga. so you see the progression in dropoff from bigs. bynum, pau . . . mbenga. the big part as i see it, is that the toughest competition in our division is portland. they go deep in 7footers. greg oden, lemarcus aldridge, channing frye, raef lafrentz, and pryzbilla. although a coupla 6'11s close enough. and i remember jerry west said he also assessed our key opponents as a factor, when addressing our own needs. i am sure mitch uses that criteria also, a disciple of West.

so this guy is a good pick up. but in a 7 game series, when the rash of fouls occur like the finals, we must be able to combat that type of lineup. bynum we know for sure will get fouls. pau gets fouls big trouble. that leaves us with mbenga. not good prospects imo. the addition of this guy is a good pickup.

[dockingsched]

the only players you listed that play like 7 footers are oden and przy. lamarcus is more of a matchup with odom, since he just can't matchup with pau/bynum. frye and lafrentz probably won't be back, and even if they are mbenga is better.

[LAKESHOW]

true, but up to this point, theyre the ones with the winning streak against us.

[Erik Eleven]

We have Bynum, Gasol, Odom, Mbenga, Powell to be assigned to defend the C spot. If Odom gets re-signed, it'll be very hard for Elonu to make the roster, I think.

EDIT: Unless he proves to be a Millsap/Maxiell/Bass type, because that we could use.

[Lakerholic44]

lamarcus is more of a matchup with odom, since he just can't matchup with pau/bynum.

LaMarcus showed this season that he matches up very well with Pau, and probably better than any other PF in the league not named Garnett, because of his length and athletic ability. If he had to, LaMarcus would do okay against Bynum because of his outside game and length. If, Greg Oden can stay healthy, he obviously matches up only with Bynum, but only on the defensive end as his offensive game is still very raw. Pryzbilla is a very good back-up and a physical center, and after that the rest of Portland's bigs leave much to be desired.