The UCLA Bruins had a dominant season in college basketball last year. They revolutionized college basketball in the way to play the game and the unselfishness in that.
Tj Leaf was a huge part of this team. UCLA brought Leaf and Lonzo Ball in together, and they meshed so well. They took UCLA from being an average team the year before to being a Sweet 16 team this past season.
Height: 6'10"
Weight: 225 pounds
College averages: 16.3 ppg, 8.2 rpg
Strengths
TJ Leaf Brings a ton of athleticism to the NBA. His build isn't intimidating by any means, but he has a standing reach of almost 9 feet, and his ability to get above the rim will translate well to the next level.
Leaf played in an uptempo offense at UCLA, and that system compares well to the NBA.
TJ Leaf brings an enormous offensive game with him as well. He can play inside and out, with the ability to stretch out and shoot the three. He brings a very quick first step and is explosive off the dribble. He should be able to get by defenders in the league, and his ability to pick and pop will be crucial to surviving in the NBA.
Leaf rebounds the ball well and has great instincts when it comes to rebounding. He can offensive rebound better than most bigs, and his athleticism will help him against larger defenders.
Weaknesses
Leaf's biggest weakness right now is in his build. His frame isn't intimidating, and while he can still be effective without a large frame, he needs to put some weight on him.
Leaf did well against other big men in college but having to guard power forwards in the league will be a whole different story. He'll have to guard guys like Blake Griffin and others who are big and also really explosive. If Leaf can add to his frame, it will help him on offense and defense.
Secondly, his three-point shooting was good, but it wasn't great.
He favored shooting mid-range much more than three-point shots. This isn't a concern, but it is a bit weird. When he gets to the league, he needs to focus more on that three-point shot than mid-range.
If Leaf's three-point shot gets consistent and he starts to favor that in games, he'll be effective on offense. He can space the floor well, and he isn't limited to just shooting like other stretch bigs coming into the draft.
Leaf is a true power forward. The NBA is turning into a league where you need to play two different positions, but Leaf won't be guarding centers much. He will get eaten up if he is asked to at this stage of his career. A team with an already solid center would be perfect for Leaf.
