4. High basketball IQ
T.J. Leaf is only 20 years old, but he has basketball knowledge and court sense that you typically don’t see in players of that age.
Leaf does a great job of playing within himself while also playing with passion. He doesn’t force the issue; if he’s open, he’ll shoot it; if he’s not, he’ll keep the ball moving.
He recognizes when he has an advantage on his defender, and generally cashes in on those opportunities. He’s not a lockdown defender, but he moves his feet and positions himself well when playing individual or team defense.
Nate McMillan on TJ Leaf: "A very skillful big guy that can spread the floor. His basketball IQ is very high."
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) June 23, 2017
Part of being a smart basketball player is doing the “little things” on the court, and Leaf excels in this area.
Moving without the ball seems to be a lost art these days, but Leaf does that well, creating high-percentage scoring opportunities as the result of his constant movement.
Some players just seem to have an innate feel for the game, and T.J. Leaf has that quality — this is one of the reasons that he projects to be a “safe” pick at No. 18.