NBA Comparison: Meyers Leonard

Strengths: Fluid 7-footer, with acceptable level of athleticism… Has long arms and nice length … Wide shoulders, his body looks like he can bulk up well … Good feel for the game … Good basketball IQ … Light on his feet … A good leaper off two feet, with a good second jump … Versatile, has been used in both frontcourt positions … Pretty quick for a 7-footer … Runs the floor very well … Excels in the open floor and is pretty good in transition for a big … Has very good coordination for his size … Nice touch around the basket … Stretch-Big potential … Has nice shooting mechanics … Good shooter when his feet are set … Good free throw shooter, which is an indication of his potential as a Stretch Big … Shows proficiency in spot up situations … He is a considerable threat in Pick and Pop situations … Can attack closeouts and drive to the basket … Very good in Pick and Roll situations as the screener … Sets good screens and rolls hard to the basket … Has soft hands … Can be an alley-oop target after setting a screen … Can become a rare case of a big who is equally effective in Pick and Roll and Pick and Pop situations… Has good footwork in the post, can turn from either shoulder … Has shown flashes of ability as a passer … Not afraid of contact and can draw a lot of fouls … Very good rebounder, at least at his current level … Really active on the offensive glass, can put a lot of pressure on opponent’s defense, hunting offensive rebounds … Smart defender … Solid rim protector thanks to his size and length … Has good lateral quickness for his size … Already knows the low of verticality, which helps him avoid fouls …

Weaknesses: Decent athlete, but not overly athletic by NBA Standards … Needs to bulk up and add weight, but at the same time not lose any mobility … His motor can come and go on the defensive end … Needs time to gather before jumping, which could limit him at the next level … Struggles against physical opponents because of his thin frame … Has some problems finishing through contact and in traffic … He has the tendency to rush things a little at times when he is crowded in the paint … It’s difficult for him to finish through contact because of his lack of upper body strength … Has a slow shooting release, because he wants to bring the ball to his hips before attempting a shot, which gives time to defense to close out on him … Inconsistent 3-point shooter for now and kind of streaky … He should learn to control his body better when attacking the rim … His post up game is pretty basic for now … Must add some counter moves in the post … He might be able to turn from either shoulder while posting up, but it’s obvious he prefers to turn over his left shoulder … Despite his potential as a passer, he still needs a lot of polish in that area … He can telegraph his passes, or try to pass in wrong places at times … Has major problems covering pick and pop action, he looks a step or two slow against Stretch bigs … He can’t really guard Stretch-4s for now … Mostly a drop defender in defensive Pick and Roll, his just average lateral quickness doesn’t really help him … Lacks the elite “pop” while jumping, which could make it easier for elite athletes to finish at the rim against him … Bulkier bigs are able to out muscle him in the post and easily score against him …

Stefanos Makris 11/15/20