Indiana Pacers: 2017 NBA Draft grades
By Evan Massey
No. 18 — T.J. Leaf
Drafting UCLA’s T.J. Leaf at No. 18 overall was not a very popular pick among Pacers’ fans. Immediately following the pick, there was a lot of frustration shared on social media. Leaf is not the most athletic player in the draft and seeing players like O.G. Anunoby and Harry Giles on the board made fans a bit disgruntled.
Leaf may not be a flashy pick, but head coach Nate McMillan strongly believes that he will fit well alongside Myles Turner. McMillan spoke about Leaf’s ability to stretch the floor in his post-draft press conference.
Last season at UCLA, Leaf ended up averaging 16.3 points per game to go along with 8.2 rebounds. He shot 61.7 percent from the field overall and knocked down 46.6 percent of his three-point attempts.
Even though it is a small sample size, Leaf does appear to have a well-rounded offensive game. Indiana will be able to play five players with the ability to shoot three-pointers, which will help them create favorable matchups.
Leaf may not be a popular pick right now, but he certainly possesses the potential to change Pacers fans’ minds.
Grade: B+