Orlando Magic Daily
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5 Players to watch at the NBA Draft Combine

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Jan 11, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) moves the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Grant Williams (2) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. South Carolina won 70 to 60. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 11, 2017; Knoxville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) moves the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Grant Williams (2) during the second half at Thompson-Boling Arena. South Carolina won 70 to 60. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports /
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TJ Leaf, UCLA

Among the many needs for the Orlando Magic this offseason, the team is likely looking for a traditional stretch-4 to bolster the bench lineups or play alongside Aaron Gordon if he ever slides to center or <gulp> small forward again. The Magic mainly are looking for some versatility off the bench.

And that is why a player like the UCLA Bruins’ TJ Leaf is really intriguing.

Leaf averaged 16.3 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game. He was a solid player with traditional power forward skills around the basket.

He has decent size at 6-foot-10, 225 pounds to work near the basket with the athleticism to recover defensively and take slower players off the dribble.

Where Leaf really begins to intrigue is with his shooting. And this is where he has a chance to showcase himself at the Draft Combine.

Last year, Leaf shot 27 of 58 from beyond the arc (46.6 percent). That suggests he might have the ability to stretch his range out to the NBA 3-point line. That would make him immensely more valuable as a pro prospect.

The downside here is Leaf shot 67.9 percent from the line. Usually, free throw shooting is a better indicator of whether a player can stretch their range than 3-point percentage in college. A player with good free throw form can usually continue to expand their range.

This is all to say if Leaf participates in the Combine’s shooting drills, it will be interesting to see if he pushes himself out to the 3-point line. Certainly, scouts will want to see this in individual workouts, but it may not be something Leaf wants to do quite yet in a pressure situation.

Leaf is an intriguing prospect for his size and athleticism. But he will have to prove a lot early on in his career to get clearer footing in the NBA.