Meyers Leonard's NBA Draft Stock

[othawhitemeat]

Most sites have Anthony Davis and Drummond as 1/2, but I believe that Meyers (if he keeps progressing) has a chance to be number 1. Drummond has the toughness and is a big, athletic, defensive type player that could be dominant. Anthony Davis has the talent to be dominant, but I don't know about the toughness (he kind of reminds me of Marcus Camby anyway; good player and a little more talent).

Jeremy Lamb and Brad Beal are great shooting guards prospects. Tim Hardaway Jr. will be a sleeper in the draft. Terrance Ross is a freak athlete and is starting to learn to shoot, but is still pretty raw (a sleeper too though).

Quincy Miller and Perry Jones are good, but I don't know if they are dominant. John Henson will be good defensively and will be a game changer there, but he must continue to develop offensively and it will take a couple of years before he is strong enough to do so at the 4 spot.

Jared Sullinger will make the pros, but I don't see him being a star. Harrison Barnes has a chance to be good, but I don't know about a chance to be dominant (although he has the work ethic).

Overall, Meyers still has a lot of work to do (being consistent, learning to play low consistently, playing D without baiting on ball fakes, dominating the glass with his ability, getting lower position, not giving up if switched and getting blown by the offensive player, and most importantly, emotional maturity). Stating all this, I don't see any other player in this draft that has the two-way talent he has. Defensively, he has made tremendous improvements on not fouling as much and blocking (it is getting better in terms of keeping it in bounds). Offensively, he can run like a deer, sets good picks, has a really good mid-range jumper, a nice jump hook to the right, an awesome turn-around fadeaway, wants to dunk the ball, great reads for the most part, and best, but not last, awesome passing ability.

What I hope to see improve as the game goes along; not just setting picks, but hedging off a fake screen. Learning to not get so emotional, demanding lower position on the blocks, bringing tenacity withing constraint, and getting lower defensively on the blocks of guarding low-post. If he can do these, not get any injuries, and not do anything stupid emotionally, he is just a man amongst boys out there right now. I know he will take some lumps (will be curious to see him against Sullinger), but potential along with great skill is just as high for him as anybody in this draft.

Chime in, criticize, whatever, but I guarantee scouts and his potential are at least top 3 this upcoming draft.

[Chris Yates]

Meyers Leonard is a guaranteed lottery pick when he goes into the draft. You just can't teach his height and agility. Plus, he's an excellent free-throw shooter and a good passer.

I hope he stays another year to polish his game. I think that, after his junior year, he could be the number one overall pick in the draft. If he goes after this season, he'll be a high pick, but he probably won't be complete enough to be the first player taken.

[zeirkenator]

Meyer's will be a lottery pick this year barring an injury. And I can't blame him for making the jump and taking the money. These guys are all one injury away from having their careers ended. You have to go when you can.

[Obelix]

The draft also lacks any true centers. Let alone a true center with Leonard's physical ability, potential, and basketball skills.

[Thacher_H_Guild]

Assuming he stays healthy, he's a lottery pick right now. As many others have said, the NBA drafts potential, and ML is oozing potential.

But I also think he's trying to do something that is very difficult--he didn't play much last year so he's basically like a red shirt freshman. Given this, there is a reasonable chance he'll "hit the wall." The hitting the wall thing is usually attributed to there being more games in college than high school, but I suspect there is at least one other factor going on. It's mentally and physically taxing to try to improve rapidly, and ML is still clearly learning. (Did y'all hear Weber yelling at him to find a guy to guard, for example?) Trying to train at a high intensity and work on all sorts of things becomes a grind over time--and it's compounded by the schedule getting tougher in the second half of the season (which becomes its own grind).

All that is to say that his improvement so far has been remarkable, but I suspect he's going to plateau for a while at some point here fairly soon. Given this, I think one more year in college would not only help his draft standing but would give him a much better chance of reaching his potential in the NBA. If he leaves after this year--depending on where he ended up--there is a decent chance he'd end up spending lots of time sitting on an NBA bench, which is a hard way to improve. For his long term prospects of actually being a good NBA player, I think they'd be improved by playing another year in college.

My impression could all change if he continues to exceed expectations, but at this moment, if I were in his place, I think I'd figure out a way to take out an insurance policy against a career-ending injury and then stay the extra year.

[Lakhnavi_Illini]

Myers Leonard will be the #1 pick in 2012 NBA draft unless he gets injured. I can't see how he can be passed up.

[Obelix]

Originally Posted by Thacher_H_Guild

Assuming he stays healthy, he's a lottery pick right now. As many others have said, the NBA drafts potential, and ML is oozing potential.

But I also think he's trying to do something that is very difficult--he didn't play much last year so he's basically like a red shirt freshman. Given this, there is a reasonable chance he'll "hit the wall." The hitting the wall thing is usually attributed to there being more games in college than high school, but I suspect there is at least one other factor going on. It's mentally and physically taxing to try to improve rapidly, and ML is still clearly learning. (Did y'all hear Weber yelling at him to find a guy to guard, for example?) Trying to train at a high intensity and work on all sorts of things becomes a grind over time--and it's compounded by the schedule getting tougher in the second half of the season (which becomes its own grind).

All that is to say that his improvement so far has been remarkable, but I suspect he's going to plateau for a while at some point here fairly soon. Given this, I think one more year in college would not only help his draft standing but would give him a much better chance of reaching his potential in the NBA. If he leaves after this year--depending on where he ended up--there is a decent chance he'd end up spending lots of time sitting on an NBA bench, which is a hard way to improve. For his long term prospects of actually being a good NBA player, I think they'd be improved by playing another year in college.

My impression could all change if he continues to exceed expectations, but at this moment, if I were in his place, I think I'd figure out a way to take out an insurance policy against a career-ending injury and then stay the extra year.

While I would like every player to stay as many years in college as possible, staying an extra year (especially past sophomore year, rather than freshman year) when someone is projected as a lottery pick does not make sense. The insurance policy is not much money, and the current financial structure (rookie salary cap) pretty much negates the benefits of holding an extra year for more money.

Plus most of the NBA stars have come out of HS or within their first 2 years, so unfortunately the NBA is different than what it used to be, even from a maturity standpoint.

[Moneybreaks]

I hope I don't get banned for this, but I commonly refer to him as "White Howard." He's a beast and I agree will go #1 at the rate he's going. Final vote at the end of the season after facing the likes of Sullinger, et al.

[rbachhuber]

He reminds me of Bill Walton (physically, not . . . well you know).

[Groundhogday]

Originally Posted by Chris Yates

Meyers Leonard is a guaranteed lottery pick when he goes into the draft. You just can't teach his height and agility. Plus, he's an excellent free-throw shooter and a good passer.

I hope he stays another year to polish his game. I think that, after his junior year, he could be the number one overall pick in the draft. If he goes after this season, he'll be a high pick, but he probably won't be complete enough to be the first player taken.

I agree. He could certainly come out and be a lottery pick in 2012. But if there is a guy who could benefit from another year in college to develop his game and mature a bit it would be Leonard. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I really think it would be in his long run interest to stay at Illinois for his junior year (barring a major improvement over the course of the season).

[Joe]

Barring only injury, Meyers Leonard will certainly be a lottery pick in NBA draft whenever he decides to leave Illinois. Could be 2012.

[I Hate Lemonier]

Hasheem Thabeet was the 2nd overall pick in 2009. There isn't enough time or space here to explain the ways in which Leonard is better than Thabeet.

7'1
Shooting Touch
Off the charts athleticism
Progressing passing game and shot blocker
mean streak

Sure he could stay and continue to get better but he is a top 5 pick right now imo

[IlliniSteve]

I really hope he stays one more year. That would probably ensure that next year would be a very, very special season.

[Joe]

Originally Posted by IlliniSteve

I really hope he stays one more year. That would probably ensure that next year would be a very, very special season.

+1 me too

One thing we have to realize is that Meyers while he is already playing fairly well this early in the season is still relatively green and a long ways from his ceiling. Even so Meyers already has a nationwide audience witnessing his prodigious athletic ability and talent and pegging him as a high draft pick or lottery pick. Yet Meyers will continue picking up steam and admirers as Illinois still has 22-28 games to go this season and Meyers will keep on learning, progressing and getting even better still. I totally expect by the end of this season he will have become a much better player and much more appreciated than even he is now. Then his stock may really be soaring. Still I hope he comes back and wins a national championship in '12-'13

[BananaShampoo]

Meyers could pull a Tyler Hansbrough and come back to lead his team to the NC. If he comes back next year I have no doubt we'll have a good chance to win it all with the combination of talent AND experience that we'll have at all positions, ESPECIALLY if Abrams makes significant strides over the course of the season.

[Mix Tape]

Since he was a fouling machine the previous year, Leonard has only played significant time in ten games. Ten games in which the competition was not what it will be during the conference season.

While he has shown improvement, he is nowhere near demonstrating to be a dominant post presence. Granted that partly due to the fact that the team often fails to drive in and dish to him as well as feed the post with any consistency.

He has maturity issues and needs to work on his rebounding skills.

The 12/17 and 12/22 games along with conference play will provide a better tell in regards to how ready he is to be a potential draft pick.

[Illest]

If I had to guess, I think he'd be a top ten pick, though it's a little hard to project at this point. On the one hand, there aren't many people in the world who have athleticism and size that can compete with Dwight Howard and also make the passes that Meyers made tonight, convert that fadeaway jumper, and shoot 80% from the line. It's not hard to imagine him efficiently scoring 20 points a night in a pick-and-roll NBA offense.

On the other hand, he has yet to prove that he's anything better than "pretty good" on the glass at the college level, and it's hard to imagine a team using a very high pick on a center who projects as only an ordinary rebounder at the NBA level. He also doesn't demand the ball on offense yet. I know he's come an extraordinary way since last season -- I can't think of a single player who I've seen improve so much from season to season -- but he's going to have to show scouts that he's going to be the kind of aggressive player who gets his paws on the ball every possession on offense and who shows the activity and desire to be a great NBA rebounder.

In all, I think too many question marks right now to project as a top three pick, but certainly enough upside to project close to the top of the draft, and likely as the best pure center prospect.

[othawhitemeat]

Originally Posted by Illest

If I had to guess, I think he'd be a top ten pick, though it's a little hard to project at this point. On the one hand, there aren't many people in the world who have athleticism and size that can compete with Dwight Howard and also make the passes that Meyers made tonight, convert that fadeaway jumper, and shoot 80% from the line. It's not hard to imagine him efficiently scoring 20 points a night in a pick-and-roll NBA offense.

On the other hand, he has yet to prove that he's anything better than "pretty good" on the glass at the college level, and it's hard to imagine a team using a very high pick on a center who projects as only an ordinary rebounder at the NBA level. He also doesn't demand the ball on offense yet. I know he's come an extraordinary way since last season -- I can't think of a single player who I've seen improve so much from season to season -- but he's going to have to show scouts that he's going to be the kind of aggressive player who gets his paws on the ball every possession on offense and who shows the activity and desire to be a great NBA rebounder.

In all, I think too many question marks right now to project as a top three pick, but certainly enough upside to project close to the top of the draft, and likely as the best pure center prospect.

The rebounding is one thing that has to concern others; reminds me a little of Brooke Lopez, but is faster, better at blocking, and with better passing.

[cyfairslam]

Leonard's draft stock may not ever get any higher.

Right now, to the NBA scouts, all his weaknesses are being blown off as being inexperienced or he will grow into his body. Because of his improvement over last year, all his new found skills are being multiplied/projected 10 fold.

As many have stated here, the NBA drafts potential.

[I Hate Lemonier]

Originally Posted by othawhitemeat

The rebounding is one thing that has to concern others; reminds me a little of Brooke Lopez, but is faster, better at blocking, and with better passing.

He reminds me a bit of Patrick Ewing who was never what I would consider a great rebounder, but effective enough

[MTILLINOIS]

Originally Posted by rbachhuber

He reminds me of Bill Walton (physically, not . . . well you know).

Just as long as he's not annoying like Mr. Know It All.

[Hugh Jorgen]

Originally Posted by Lakhnavi_Illini

Myers Leonard will be the #1 pick in 2012 NBA draft unless he gets injured. I can't see how he can be passed up.

The only way he could be passed up right now, is if a team REALLY needs a power forward...in which case, Thomas Robinson is the best PF hands down. Otherwise, I can't think of many teams in the lottery that wouldn't want to build their future around a barely 20 year old 7'1" 250lb center that runs the floor, jumps out of the gym, shoots with touch, and hits fts.

[IlliniRunIn07]

Yeah, I hate to say it, but he's probably gone. I cannot picture him coming back at all. I don't expect it to happen. Nnanna won't be a shabby replacement though.

[Calvin]

NBA draft.net has him 17, but most sites don't list him (presumably because he is a relative unknown from last year and there were no indications he wanted to turn pro).

I can see some negatives on him, mostly that he would get pushed around in the pros, and tend to believe he will benefit from another year in college ala Deron (move towards the very top). He's clearly talented enough for the lottery, and a surefire first rounder. His positives are rare though, being so tall and agile. Reasons why I think another year might be best for him:

1. Maturity. I think he would benefit mentally from a championship run in college, and we have really good upside next year.
2. His post game is still a work in progress. He will get a lot better there technically, working for position, and with his decisions, and remove any doubt.
3. His body will benefit from a year of focused work.
4. A deep tournament run always moves your draft stock. Hard to fake being a winner.
5. The bidding war/hype machine will intensify. NBA GMs love a kid who sells tickets immediately.

The downside is obvious --you can't predict injuries. He's so athletic that I like his odds of staying healthy, but you can't blame a kid for taking the first money he gets a chance at.

Either way, glad he's an Illini!

[WesterveltVictoryCigar]

Originally Posted by cyfairslam

Leonard's draft stock may not ever get any higher.

Right now, to the NBA scouts, all his weaknesses are being blown off as being inexperienced or he will grow into his body. Because of his improvement over last year, all his new found skills are being multiplied/projected 10 fold.

Really good point. Guys like Maggette and Marvin Williams got drafted high because they showed just enough to the scouts to tantalize, but didn't play enough minutes to expose too many flaws. That is a risk for Meyers, he comes back and his game may get scrutinized more than he'd like. Of course, that may still happen this year. However, I think given his size, he has more leeway than a 6'6" or 6'9" guy does as those types are more commonplace for NBA needs.