| D.J. Strawberry |
Primary Two-Way Creator (1.1) |
41.2 |
High (1.2) |
31.6 |
3.8 |
3.2 |
2.6 |
108.77 |
As a downhill scoring guard with enough playmaking to handle secondary creation, Strawberry immediately became Albuquerque’s offensive release valve. His five-game stint produced 31.6 points with 2.0 steals, and contemporary reporting noted that he earned D-League Performer of the Week honors before returning to Phoenix. D.J. Strawberry report |
D-League Performer of the Week (2008) |
| Julius Hodge |
Point-Forward Creator (1.1) |
37.9 |
High (1.2) |
23.8 |
8.3 |
5.9 |
1.5 |
104.28 |
Hodge operated as a big, versatile initiator rather than a conventional wing scorer, using his size to rebound and create offense. His Albuquerque stint carried the same all-around profile that later made him a valuable international forward, with 8.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists supporting the scoring load. Julius Hodge profile and career context |
None |
| Alando Tucker |
High-Usage Scoring Wing (1.1) |
38.5 |
High (1.2) |
27.7 |
6.0 |
1.6 |
1.4 |
96.89 |
Tucker was used as a relentless scoring forward, repeatedly getting the ball in situations where he could attack or rise into jumpers. His 21-game Albuquerque stint included several explosive scoring nights, and later reporting highlighted his 27.7-point, 6.0-rebound production while he moved repeatedly between Phoenix and the D-League. The Sixth Man — Tucker and the Suns |
D-League Performer of the Week (2008) — Honorable Mention |
| Will Conroy |
Franchise Floor General (1.1) |
38.6 |
High (1.2) |
17.4 |
4.8 |
8.2 |
1.4 |
83.95 |
Conroy’s defining responsibility was orchestration: he pushed the pace, organized half-court possessions and consistently looked to create for teammates before hunting his own shot. The 8.2 assists underline how heavily Albuquerque relied on his ball-handling and decision-making, while his 17.4 points kept defenses from simply loading up on his passing. |
None |
| Joshua Gross |
Starting Scoring Forward (1.05) |
32.6 |
High (1.2) |
16.4 |
5.3 |
1.3 |
1.1 |
60.73 |
Gross supplied a steady scoring-forward presence, combining straight-line attacks with enough perimeter shooting to keep defenders honest. His season context also shows how valuable he was to the rotation: Albuquerque leaned on him for more than 32 minutes a night before he was moved during the D-League season. Gross trade report |
None |
| Daniel Horton |
Lead Scoring Guard (1.05) |
31.8 |
High (1.2) |
15.5 |
3.1 |
4.5 |
1.6 |
62.24 |
Horton functioned as a scoring point guard who could take over stretches while still creating offense for others. Contemporary game coverage repeatedly identified him as Albuquerque’s offensive leader in difficult matchups, including a February loss in which he again led the Thunderbirds with 18 points. Colorado-Albuquerque game report |
None |
| Kevin Pittsnogle |
Stretch-Pick-and-Pop Big (1.05) |
30.5 |
High (1.2) |
15.7 |
6.2 |
1.7 |
1.0 |
61.99 |
Pittsnogle’s value came from pulling opposing bigs away from the paint and giving Albuquerque a legitimate perimeter threat at power forward/center. His 2.7 made threes per game at a 39.5% clip made the floor noticeably wider around the Thunderbirds’ slashers. |
None |
| Cheyne Gadson |
Combo-Guard Shot Maker (1.05) |
27.6 |
High (1.2) |
15.9 |
2.8 |
3.6 |
1.4 |
59.72 |
Gadson arrived as a late-season backcourt reinforcement and immediately gave Albuquerque another guard capable of creating offense off the dribble. Reporting on his March acquisition described him as a “terrific combo guard,” with his previous Austin stint also showing a strong passing component. Gadson trade report |
None |
| Ali Berdiel |
Oversized Playmaking Wing (1.05) |
28.2 |
Medium (1.1) |
9.9 |
3.7 |
4.8 |
1.8 |
46.66 |
Berdiel filled an unusual connector role for a 6-foot-6 guard, using his size to see over defenses while initiating offense and pressuring passing lanes. His 4.8 assists and 1.5 steals fit that profile well: he was more useful as a facilitator and defensive disruptor than as a pure scorer. |
None |
| Jamaal Thomas |
Slashing Wing Reserve (1.05) |
26.4 |
Medium (1.1) |
10.8 |
4.5 |
1.9 |
1.7 |
43.66 |
Thomas brought athletic pressure from the wing, particularly in transition and on straight-line drives. A contemporary Albuquerque-Anaheim game report captured that role when his aggressiveness turned a late steal into a fast-break dunk, a useful snapshot of how his energy translated beyond the box score. Albuquerque-Anaheim game report |
None |
| Darvin Ham |
Veteran Two-Way Forward (1.05) |
31.4 |
Medium (1.1) |
10.1 |
5.6 |
1.6 |
1.6 |
43.66 |
Ham was the veteran physical presence in Albuquerque’s frontcourt, attacking the rim, rebounding through contact and providing a defensive-minded edge. The Thunderbirds specifically selected him with the third pick in the D-League draft and promoted his powerful dunking ability, while his later player-coach role reflected the leadership responsibilities he carried around the roster. Darvin Ham draft report |
NBA Champion (2004) |
| Abdul Mills |
Table-Setting Guard (1.05) |
25.5 |
Medium (1.1) |
7.6 |
2.4 |
3.7 |
1.2 |
34.42 |
Mills worked primarily as a stabilizing guard, moving the ball and organizing possessions rather than dominating shots. His 3.7 assists against only 7.0 attempts per game point toward a pass-first rotation function, while his ability to knock down occasional threes gave the backcourt some spacing. |
None |
| Dwight Brewington |
Interior Scoring Reserve (1.0) |
17.4 |
Medium (1.1) |
9.4 |
2.1 |
1.4 |
0.7 |
29.92 |
Brewington provided bench scoring with a compact offensive game built around interior finishing and efficient shooting. His season path was unusual as well: after beginning the year with Tulsa, he joined Albuquerque and remained productive enough to secure a professional opportunity in Israel afterward. Liberty report on Brewington’s 2007-08 season |
None |
| Majic Dorsey |
Change-of-Pace Guard (1.0) |
23.5 |
Medium (1.1) |
8.0 |
2.1 |
2.9 |
0.6 |
29.92 |
Dorsey supplied second-unit ball-handling and pace, giving Albuquerque another guard who could create without requiring the offense to run entirely through the primary scorers. His 2.9 assists in limited minutes suggest a facilitator’s role, while the low three-point volume kept his attack primarily inside the arc. |
None |
| Ramon Dyer |
Rebounding Forward (1.0) |
20.6 |
Low (1.0) |
6.4 |
4.8 |
0.5 |
1.6 |
26.60 |
Dyer’s role was built around physical work rather than offensive creation. He consistently competed on the glass and around the basket, and his season-long 50-game workload made him one of Albuquerque’s dependable depth pieces even without a large offensive share. |
None |
| Elijah Ingram |
Microwave Guard (1.0) |
19.6 |
Low (1.0) |
6.1 |
2.2 |
2.9 |
0.7 |
23.80 |
Ingram served as a smaller reserve guard who could inject ball pressure and quick offense when the main creators needed a breather. His 2.9 assists in under 20 minutes point to a useful secondary-playmaking function rather than a pure catch-and-shoot role. |
None |
| Cory Underwood |
Energy Big (1.0) |
15.9 |
Low (1.0) |
6.0 |
2.9 |
0.6 |
1.1 |
21.20 |
Underwood’s contribution was largely physical: short interior shifts, rebounding activity and defensive energy. His 0.6 blocks and 0.5 steals show the disruptive side of that role, while his modest offensive workload kept him in a complementary lane. |
None |
| Serge Angounou |
Mobile Frontcourt Defender (1.0) |
16.6 |
Low (1.0) |
4.8 |
4.0 |
0.6 |
0.8 |
20.40 |
Angounou was primarily an athletic frontcourt defender and rebounder rather than a featured scorer. His Albuquerque role was shaped by physical activity around the paint, and contemporary game coverage specifically noted him among the Thunderbirds’ big men controlling the boards during a close Anaheim matchup. Thunderbirds-Arsenal game report |
None |
| James Smith |
Reserve Rim Big (1.0) |
16.7 |
Low (1.0) |
3.7 |
2.9 |
0.4 |
0.9 |
15.80 |
Smith’s minutes were geared toward interior defense, screening and occupying space rather than offensive creation. The low shot volume and 0.5 blocks reflect a reserve center whose main value came from doing the physical work around the rim when the rotation needed size. |
None |
| Ejike Ugboaja |
Developmental Frontcourt Piece (1.0) |
11.1 |
Low (1.0) |
3.1 |
2.8 |
0.2 |
0.5 |
13.20 |
Ugboaja was used as a developmental interior piece, with limited minutes focused on rebounding, physical defense and finishing opportunities. His rookie-professional context made him more of a long-term frontcourt project than a featured offensive option during Albuquerque’s season. |
None |
| TOTALS |
Team/Totals |
— |
— |
249.9 |
80.3 |
51.5 |
25.2 |
987.82 |
2007-08 Albuquerque Thunderbirds player pool represented by the supplied statistics. |
— |
