The Indiana Pacers are in pre-draft workout mode, bringing in several prospects every day. T.J. Leaf, the first consensus first-rounder that has worked out for Indiana, could be the 18th pick come June 22.
The Pacers are preparing for the upcoming draft where they have picks No. 18 and No. 47. Due to the uncertain future of the roster, ensuring that the team drafts the right players that could either contribute now or be a part of a potential rebuild, is crucial for the team. On May 23, the team brought in a group of players for a workout to scout them to see if they could fit the bill for the Pacers. One of the players they brought in was 20 year old UCLA freshman T.J. Leaf.
Leaf’s UCLA squad had a very successful season, and Leaf was a large part of that. Despite a certain misogynist‘s comments calling T.J. a slow white guy, he had a promising freshman year at UCLA. The 6-foot-10, 225 pound power forward averaged 16.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game over 35 games.
Strengths
Leaf does a lot of things well, and many of his skills would be useful for the Pacers. He has a skill set that fits both the modern NBA as well as fills some holes for the team. When Myles Turner and Thaddeus Young are out of the game, the Pacers have no big men who can stretch the floor or dive to the basket. Leaf is good at both of those things, as well as a variety of other skills that could be beneficial to the team.
As mentioned already, one of Leaf’s most noticeable skills is his shooting, especially for his size. Leaf had a true shooting percentage of 65.0 in college, which is already a great number, but add in that he is 6-foot-9 and it becomes even more impressive. He shot 27-for-58 from 3-point range (47 percent), and his form uses a fair amount of leg so it could translate well to the NBA 3-point line. If he can shoot over 35 percent from behind the line in the pros he could be an effective player at his height, even if he can do nothing else well.
A second strength in Leaf’s game is his explosiveness and athleticism. He can run up and down the court exceptionally well for a taller guy, and he can blow by defenders:
Leaf had little trouble getting by his man in isolation at UCLA. He wasn’t asked to do it very often in their offense, but he could do it. He can also fly through the air when he runs down the court and explode for a rebound.
Leaf’s athleticism will allow him to dive to the basket whenever he has the space. If he gets the ball headed down the lane, he has the explosiveness to finish over bigger defenders.
Weaknesses
T.J. Leaf has a variety of skills that will translate well. The staff at DraftExpress think that Leaf is an underrated passer, but after watching the film, I am not convinced. Leaf could pass capably from the elbow, and he was able to get a few assists per game simply from passing to his skilled team mates at UCLA, but I didn’t see anything that would make me think he will be a strong passer in the NBA. He can hit the open man, but don’t expect to see Leaf diming anyone up or hitting a cutter in a tight hole.
You probably have noticed that Leaf’s defense hasn’t been mentioned yet. That is his biggest weakness as a prospect by a wide margin. He was able to get a few blocks in the film I watched, but he was often unable to switch in the pick and roll and would get beat a lot going side to side. He could guard big men in the post, but if Leaf has to play a modicum perimeter defense at the professional level, the team should think about sending help immediately.
If Leaf is on the board at No. 18 for the Pacers, I’m not sure I would draft him. Leaf has skills, sure, but he seems to be more of a late first, early second-round guy thanks to his struggles on defense. In addition, the Pacers have at least five bigs already under contract for next season, so Leaf doesn’t fill a position of need as much as wing depth/backup point guard would.
Next: Myles Turner is still growing up
T.J. Leaf could get drafted anywhere from just outside the lottery to early in the second round, but I would be somewhat surprised to see the Pacers make him their first round selection.