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

Final Word

T.J. Leaf is an interesting prospect for sure. And what he can provide may very well be in the eye of the beholder.

On one hand, Leaf seems like he is a perfect power forward for the modern NBA. He can step out and hit 3-pointers. Leaf has enough athleticism to get past his defender as they close out and finish at the rim. Leaf has a lot of tools at his disposal to be successful.

Give Leaf an open lane, and he will be able to finish at the rim too. He can dunk it hard.

But there are plenty of pronounced weaknesses too.

He does not have a ton of strength or ability to work the low post on either end. He is going to get outmuscled a lot the closer he gets tot he basket. Leaf also does not have the footwork to beat players in the post, other than trying to shoot over them.

Defensively, Leaf will struggle. While he does have good north-south quickness and athleticism, he does not have a lot of lateral quickness. He is going to struggle if he is drawn away from the basket.

He put up solid numbers at UCLA, but a lot of that was because of the team’s system. It emphasized fast breaks and getting out in transition. The team pushed the pace and put on onslaught on offense. It is hard to say how much of what Leaf does will translate.

The place to start with Leaf is his shooting. If he can get his shooting to translate, it seems certain he can find a place in the NBA. That is such a key to the modern power forward. The NBA can get him to fill out the rest.

Next: 2017 Orlando Magic Draft Preview: Who is Josh Jackson?

With Leaf, it is truly what is in the eye of the beholder.