2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is T.J. Leaf?

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Mar 24, 2017; Memphis, TN, USA; UCLA Bruins forward TJ Leaf (22) dunks against Kentucky Wildcats forward Wenyen Gabriel (32) in the first half during the semifinals of the South Regional of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports /

T.J. Leaf was a big beneficiary of the UCLA Bruins’ crazy pace and offense. If he can get his shooting to translate, he could be a solid first round pick.

Offense reigns in the NBA today. No one has to watch much more than the NBA Finals to see that.

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers have hoisted 3-pointers at historic rates, putting an exclamation point on a season that saw the spread offenses and 3-point shot become the norm rather than the exception. It is the direction the league is headed and everyone is trying to play some form of catch up — or create their own twist.

If the Orlando Magic proved one thing this season, it is that it is very difficult to go against this grain. And the Magic are ready to go in the opposite direction.

Even before the Magic made the trade that began transforming the team’s style of play to a more modern spread offense, the Magic lacked a stretch-4. They needed someone with size who could stretch the floor and hit 3-pointers. Aaron Gordon and Jeff Green both provided versatility, but neither was a strong 3-point shooter.

Undoubtedly a strech-4 is a huge need in the NBA these days. That makes what they can do all the more valuable.

No team embraced offense-only in the NCAA quite like the UCLA Bruins.

Lonzo Ball has rightfully taken a lot of the headlines. His shooting and playmaker were key to the Bruins’ stellar season. But he had plenty of help, including a strong stretch-4 in T.J. Leaf.

Leaf was the secondary scorer, taking in a lot of the assists from Ball. But Leaf is a talented player in his own right, not just someone who benefited from Ball’s exploits.

He averaged 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Leaf shot 46.6 percent from beyond the arc and posted a 65.2 percent effective field goal percentage. He was capable of stepping out beyond the 3-point line and driving to the basket or finishing around the basket in traffic.

Leaf has a lot of skills to like. And in this modern NBA that asks bigs to work on the perimeter as much as they need to work in the paint, Leaf is in a position to succeed.