2017 NBA Mock Draft, Week 22: College basketball is over

With his college point guard already in tow, the Los Angeles Lakers can reunite a duo that was successful with the Bruins by bringing in power forward TJ Leaf. The 6-foot-10 freshman would give the Lakers a bit of a finesse look at the four spot as he’s an incredibly efficient scorer with good range on his jumper. Leaf averaged 21.7 points per 40 minutes for the Bruins this season, a team high among rotation players, while posting a 66.0 true shooting percentage.

He made 46.6 percent of his 3-point attempts, although it was on a low volume and he shot it poorly from the foul line (67.9 percent). His willingness to shoot a 2.2 3s per 40 minutes, though, suggests there is potential there for him as a stretch four option once he gets enough repetitions in. Leaf can also score on the low block by using post up moves to punish defenders and even has a decent face up game from the mid-range.

Leaf’s deficiencies shine brightest on the defensive end where his lack of athleticism is apparent when it comes to defending the pick-and-roll. This was a consistent problem for UCLA this season and it might ultimately be one where additional coaching could help resolve some of his problems.

Learn more about TJ Leaf at The Step Back.