Indiana Pacers: 5 options for pick No. 18 in 2017 NBA Draft
T.J. Leaf, PF, UCLA
2016-17 Statistics: 16.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.4 APG
T.J. Leaf has a very impressive set of skills for such a young player. He can do it all offensively — shoot from range, drive and score down low.
Leaf also showed very good defensive potential during his one season at UCLA. He uses good anticipation and foot movement to position himself well defensively.
T.J. Leaf is a very smart basketball player who also plays hard all the time. In short, he is very advanced for a 20-year-old with only a single season of college basketball experience under his belt.
The biggest knock on Leaf is that he needs to further develop his physique. He is light and not very strong, but that is very common (and correctable) for players of his age and experience level.
Leaf is a good athlete, but he will be pretty average in that category when he enters the NBA, which will limit his potential to become an All-Star at the pro level.
T.J Leaf projects as a low-risk prospect who should be a good NBA performer, although he may never be a dominant pro basketball player.
Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: Post-Lottery edition
Leaf is very skilled and has most things teams look for in a draft prospect, but his body type and lack of explosion may ultimately hold him back a bit.