What T.J. Leaf needs show the Pacers in tonight’s preseason game
By Ben Gibson
T.J. Leaf is starting in place of the injured Thaddeus Young tonight against the Houston Rockets. He needs to show the Pacers why he shouldn’t ride the bench in the regular season.
T.J. Leaf is starting in tonight’s preseason game against the Houston Rockets since Thaddeus Young is still healing from a bone bruise. While preseason games shouldn’t be seen as make or break for him, Leaf needs to show the Indiana Pacers why they extended his rookie deal last week.
It’s obvious his Summer League performance wasn’t indicative of the NBA player he is, but it didn’t instill any confidence that he will crack the Pacers rotations in the regular season.
The muscle Leaf added only looked to slow him down. He shot 36 percent from the floor in Las Vegas, a number that betrayed the one skill he’s shown so far in his career with the Pacers. His 12.5 points and 5.5 rebounds a game in Summer League is ok, but for a now sophomore in the NBA, you expected more. More troubling than that, he didn’t look comfortable most of the time in Summer League.
But there are reasons why you can chalk up the poor play this summer to an anomaly more than a sign of trouble.
For starters, Summer League is mostly rookies and free agents looking to show they deserve a spot on a roster. It only benefits most players to be a little selfish. It’s easier in some ways to be a creator like Aaron Holiday or live in the chaos like Alize Johnson than be the type of player Leaf is.
On top of that, practice time is limited for the Summer League. It isn’t as if the players are running sets together for the millionth time when the play games. They’re still getting a feel for each other as Summer League progresses.
That’s not to overly excuse Leaf’s play, he should have looked better.
Why T.J. Leaf should look better tonight, but why it will be harder
Unlike Leaf’s Summer League teammates, his fellow starters aren’t looking to inflate their stats in exhibition games. The team is looking to iron out any issues with themselves and create a better version of themselves — together. That’s a benefit to Leaf.
Leaf can find open space and put up his shots — a 42.9 percent 3-point shooter, by the way — and his teammates will look for him. These aren’t garbage minutes either, even if this is a preseason game. There will be a different flow to the game for Leaf than we’ve seen in the past.
The Pacers want to see if Leaf and do more than just shoot the ball. Can he get some points in the post? Can he grab rebounds? Can he play defense? He isn’t going to change perceptions in one game, much less a preseason one, but it’s a good place to start.
He’s also going up against a Rockets team with plenty of experience playing together, not to mention they were the only team to challenge the Golden State Warriors last year. They won’t be at that intensity level, but it doesn’t take much for James Harden or Chris Paul to make a fool of you, either.
Next. Indiana Pacers 2018-2019 Preseason Primer. dark
It’s hardly a make or break situation for Leaf, but it’s in his best interest to seize the moment. It won’t be easy for Leaf, but it’s a chance to show he’s learned to play better defense and that his Summer League woes were an aberration more than anything else.