Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Steve Scheffler was a physical NBA center who provided size, rebounding, and interior depth for the Chicago Bulls, Seattle SuperSonics, and Sacramento Kings during the early 1990s. His screen setting, low-post defense, and blue-collar role made him a dependable reserve big man.

Here are the details for Steve Scheffler:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Stephen Robert Scheffler
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born September 3, 1967
  • Hometown: Forest Park, Ohio, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 9 inches (2.06 meters)
  • Weight: 250 pounds (113 kg) during his playing career
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 10 inches
  • Shoe Size: 15 (U.S.)
  • Number: Wore 45 during his NBA career
  • Position: Power Forward / Center
  • High School: Forest Park High School in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • College: Purdue University
  • NBA Draft: 1990 NBA Draft, 39th overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets
  • Teams Played For:
    • Charlotte Hornets (1990)
    • Sacramento Kings (1990–1991)
    • Denver Nuggets (1991–1992)
    • Seattle SuperSonics (1993–1997)
    • Boston Celtics (1997)
  • Championship Rings: 0 (He did not win an NBA Championship)
  • Kids: Information on children is not widely documented
  • Siblings: He has a brother, Tom Scheffler, who also played basketball professionally

Player Archetype / Play Style

Steve Scheffler’s player archetype was that of a physical reserve big, a low-usage interior center whose value came more from size, toughness, screening, and paint work than from featured offense. Defensively, he filled a depth role around the rim by using his sturdy 6-foot-9, 250-pound frame to battle bigger bodies, rebound, and hold position inside, while offensively he operated mainly as a screener, finisher, and short-minutes support option who stayed efficient without needing touches. His physical traits made him more rugged than flashy, and his overall play style was built on hustle, contact, interior utility, and doing the hard-nosed backup-center work that helped stabilize second units. (Basketball Reference)

Scouting Report

Steve Scheffler was the kind of centre whose value came from making every possession a little more physical than the opposition wanted it to be. He wasn’t chasing finesse. He set bruising screens that forced defenders to take a real hit, carved out deep post position before the entry pass and attacked the offensive glass with a willingness to initiate contact first and find the ball second. That’s where his game was at its best. He understood that simply creating an extra possession or forcing a defence into a second rotation could be as valuable as scoring himself. Around the basket he finished with soft touch when given time, but he wasn’t a player who created offence from difficult catches or manufactured points against loaded defences. Defensively, he stayed committed to protecting the paint, playing drop coverage conservatively, absorbing drives with his chest and concentrating on ending possessions with secure rebounds rather than gambling for blocks. The trade-off was obvious whenever the game sped up. Stretch bigs and spread pick-and-roll attacks could pull him into uncomfortable territory, and once he was forced to defend multiple changes of direction away from the rim, his impact diminished. He also offered little as a passer outside straightforward reads, so the offence rarely flowed through him beyond screening and interior finishes. Put him alongside dynamic guards who thrive using physical ball screens and shooters who keep the lane open, though, and his strengths become much clearer because he creates space through contact instead of movement. To me, there are elements of Greg Ostertag in the commitment to paint protection and rebounding, while his willingness to embrace a rugged interior role recalls Joel Przybilla without the same shot-blocking presence. It’s easy to overlook players like Scheffler because so much of their work happens before the shot ever goes up, but the film keeps showing the same thing: someone creating advantages through positioning, strength and an understanding that not every important possession has to end with the ball in your hands.

Sources:

Basketball-Reference — Steve Scheffler Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft Status and more
NBA — Steve Scheffler | Forward
SonicsCentral — History | 1995-96 Sonics Season Recap