C.J Leslie
He is a 6'8.5" 200lbs PF at this point. Excellent athleticism and quickness and is very inconsistent. Doesn't have a high basketball IQ considering his raw talent and upper classmen status either. I wouldn't draft him any higher than the 20's and being a fringe 1st rounder is what he is until he develops more SF skills and or gets bigger.
Yeah, I dont know where you got that info either. I am a Raleigh native and privy to a lot of State info. (I am an engineer and do a lot of projects for NC State)
CJ's problem is, he is inconsistant. An enigma. Getting him to lock in every game is the issue. He is a late 1st rounder simply because he is more of a project. GM's will have to HOPE that he puts it together. If he gains weight and maintains that athleticism, he will be a pretty good guy for a lot of teams to bring off the bench.
I'm a hug NC State fan and I've watched Leslie at least 60 times over the last three years.
He's a junior by class but everyone has to remember that during his first season he had Sidney "I can't coach college players" Lowe as his head coach. There was not a coach in college sports that got less out of his players than Lowe did.
Mark Gottfired is the one of turned things around for Leslie. Inconsistency is an issue at times and so is strength. He has that Josh Smith mentality at times and tries to do things that he just doesn't have the skill set to do.
He's a late first rounder with a lot of upside if he can work on his handles and improve on his jumper but as for the OP's comments about him being a "team killer," that's just not true.
Shawn Marion also played defense unlike Leslie. Leslie gives an illusion he plays defense because he makes the highlight reel blocks ala Josh Smith. But is often out of position defensively and sometimes gives up points because he is playing strictly for a steal or block.
Marion also was shorter by 2 inches and had a strength advantage/25lbs on Leslie. Marion also was essentially a 20 and 10 plus 2stl and 2blk guy his one year in college. CJ Leslie isn't even that as a Jr! Would he be best used in a run and gun fast breaking system? Most definately but I see Hakim Warrick/Stromile Swift as a more reasonable expectation for Leslie rather than Shawn Marion.
whoa whoa whoa....to compare Warrick to Leslie based on stats is way off base. Leslie at another school could easily average 20 and 9. So to compare numbers at the same stage in totally different scenario is very shallow. Although he is viewed as the main guy....Leslie plays with 3 other guys that have scored over 1000 points for their career....something that Warrick never did, so that comparison is not even valid. Brown, Howell, or Wood could average more points on another team, but they have to share the offense, that is why its more balanced, not because Leslie cant avg 20ppg. I am not super high on Leslie's NBA potential but you cant fully assess him by how he looks at NC State either.
Leslie is the leading scorer on a team that has 4 other double figure scorers and Rodney Purvis avgs 9ppg. (Purvis would avg double figures damn near at any other school) Although he is still not the most refined offensive player, not averaging 20ppg on a team that has good scorers is hardly an indictment of his of ability.
Leslie's teammates aren't the problem. Lorenzo Brown makes everyone around him better. In the college game, it is a luxury to play with a point who drops 7 assists per and can manage the game. Every game, Leslie has a couple easy baskets that are a result of Brown setting him up. I don't think Leslie's scoring has anything to do with his teammates holding him back.
I didnt say his teammates were holding him back. I definitely didnt say they were the "problem". Leslie gets a lot of points in the paint because he is lightning quick, whether facing or back to the basket. What I am saying is.... Leslie doesnt need to score 20ppg on that team, but just because he doesnt....that dont mean that he cant. Leslie is an unselfish player, sometimes too unselfish. He doesnt have a total feel for the game so sometimes he forces passes. Sometimes he gets timid on offense. To knock him because he avgs 15ppg on a team that has 3 other 1000 pt scorers and two big time freshman scorers is just way off base. If he were on Wake Forest's team you dont think he could avg another 5ppg? come on.
Yeah, but you could say that about anyone dropping 15 ppg for a better team, I'm not saying he can't but it's not exactly like that makes him better than he is. Same way Kevin Martin dropped 24 for the Kings and 17 for the Thunder. I agree, whoever was knocking him for dropping 15 was off base, but saying he could average more for a worse team doesn't make him that unique. I personally really like Lorenzo Brown, I think he's one of those pg's who makes his teammates better. Eric Green would probably be averaging about 14 if he played for Kansas or Indiana.
Anyways, I think I misunderstood your original tone. I don't think we are really disagreeing.
Peanuts for brains. Cost his team down the stretch, yet again.
Think in the final minutes he had 2 turnovers, 1-4 from the free throw line, and 0 baskets, even though they kept going to him. He would blatantly travel then &$#%#&@! about the call.
NC State: Where celebrating pre-season accolades means more than post-season accolades.
I feel bad for any team that drafts this kid. I've heard he can be a big time team killer and is very inconsistent with life in general.