NBA Draft Profile: Meyers Leonard

Meyers Leonard - C - 7'1, 250lbs.
Illinois

A true seven-footer with great hands and great vision, Leonard offers a rare set of skills that will make him a fringe lottery pick. His hook-shot is still a work in progress but his jumper is fundamentally sound, as it has a high release point and good rotation. He runs the floor very well for a player of his size and he has a good understanding of his priorities on the fast break.

The main knock against Leonard is that scouts feel he will get bullied in the NBA because he has a tendency to become disengaged when facing physical opponents. His 8.2 rebounds per game were unimpressive, considering his role at Illinois. He needs to add bulk and mental strength if he is going to battle with post players in the Association 82 times a year. He also has a bad habit of deferring to his teammates when he has the ball with good position in the post.

Leonard has a chance to be special if he develops a mean streak and improves his offensive game. However, it is rare that players change their attitude once they reach the NBA, meaning that Leonard projects as just a solid rotation player.

Walker Beeken of Draft Express sees both sides of Leonard: “While he's still nowhere near a finished product and may have some question marks regarding his consistency, mental toughness and overall approach to the game, 7-footers with his mobility and agility are extremely hard to find and always highly coveted.”