[valentine]

Is playing like a prospect right now. He’s quietly having a great season… 14p and 8 rebounds on 74fg% in 23 Minutes.
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Stats per 40 minutes: 24.5 points 13.5 rebounds on 74fg%

[FritzParticipant]

I think he will be drafted and may possibly get uo in the top of the 2nd round. He’s a little undersized but he is big and quick for a big guy. He has a good mid range shot with a quick release,.. He reminds me of Big baby Davis.

I dont get why most people think CJ Leslie will be drafted in the 2nd round, he has too much potential and I feel this is a weak draft class. He is risky but if the right coach got a hold of him I think he can be a decent NBA player.

[Lebron’s HairlineParticipant]

What kid of potential do you see in CJ Leslie? hes been the same player since he was a freshman, relies too much on his athleticism, is rail thin, isn’t the tallest guy for a 4, and has no real go to offensive move. Yes this draft is weak but it is full of forwards and bigmen who will go higher than Leslie

[Tha King2121Participant]

^ I’m not sure about his potential but I saw that steal, leading the break for a euro step dunk! The dude is sooo athletic, also had a few put back dunks

[JNixonParticipant]

Howell definitely looks like a potential backup PF. He’s a bully around the rim, rebounds well and hes agile to be his size. Not crazy skilled but he is strong. Needs to work on his defense tho

[river09Participant]

CJ Leslie reminds me of a much more athletically gifted Dante Cunningham.. Wherever he ends up he will bring a lot of energy off the bench and play very effectively as a sixth man at the very least.. If he develops any more of a consistent ability to hit 16-20 ft jumpers he could be a absolute steal. In my opinion he has a very high floor and a high ceiling and is one of the safer picks in the mid-end first round.. He’s very underrated defensively, and really crashes the boards..

[druneave3Participant]

Why isn’t NC State better? They have 5 players who could all possibly have nice long NBA careers in Purvis, Brown, Lelsie, Warren, and Howell. They barely beat UCONN (not a bad team but) last night and have struggled this year.

Howell could definitely find a place in the league. Undersized, not that athletic, will struggle to finish around the rim because of those things, but is quick, extremely strong, a physical presence, and gives great effort on the glass.

Leslie most certainly find his way on NBA roster as an extremely athletic combo forward.

I wish Lorenzo Brown would be more aggressive, I was higher on him before watching him really close this year.

[FritzParticipant]

I dont know why I keep hearing CJ Leslie has not improved since his freshman year, that simply is not true. As someone who has watched the majority of his games since freshman year I believe he has improved a ton.

Yes if you have not been following Calvin and have been looking at his stats the past 3 years, you do not see much improvement. I think it is too early to look at numbers for this season, but does it not stick out that the guy shot 43 percent from the field freshman year to 53 percent the next?

Leslie has improved his offensive game tremendously since his freshman year. His mid range shot has gone from cringing to watch to having a reliable mid range game. He is finishing better around the rim, and has developed numerous post moves the past two years, although I still would not say he has a “go-to” move.

“He relies too much on athleticism” So does Russell Westbrook? Why is that significant? If your trying to say he does not have skill to go along with his athleticism thats just false. His skill set is equally as impressive, and if a guy has the ability to blow by his defender whenever he wants, why shouldnt he? That part will translate to the next level. Its not like he isn’t going to be explosive in the NBA, he is an elite athlete in both leagues.

Here is my personal scouting report on Leslie

Strengths: Leslie has one of the quickest first steps at the PF position I have seen in a long time. If Leslie can translate to a PF, NBA power forwards will struggle staying in front of him. This helps make up for Leslies lack of size allowing him to be quick off the floor to block shots and score on defenders bigger than him. When he gets the ball in the post he is decisive and can get his shot off whenever he wants in the post. He utilizes his blow by speed and jumping ability with a good job touch near the basket. He has an array of shot fakes and never has a problem getting his shot off. CJ is a good shot blocker and defender, and also has decent ball handling skills as shown by his ability to take the ball coast to coast multiple times this year.

Weaknesses: Mental Toughness and consistency. Leslie needs to show more consistent energy on the floor and needs to become more aggressive. When he is he is one of the most dominate players in College basketball, but can often disappear at times. His midrange still needs a little more improving if he wants to see minutes in the NBA, and he is also a little undersized and underweight for the PF position. Will struggle against bigger players that can back him down.

Why I think he is worthy of a first round pick: Now here me out on this, I am not saying Leslie is ANYWHERE near the ability of prospect of Kevin Garnett, he is also shorter and doesnt have KG’s wingspan, but I see a lot of similarities from KG’s game when he came into league out of high school. KG was far more polished at a younger age but CJ but CJ has all the potential to become a poor mans KG, (most likely very poor). Like I said earlier, I think he definitely is a risky pick. I think CJ will only be successful if he is able to play the PF position on offense, and will have to start off on SF’s on the defensive end until he can gain some weight to hold his own in the post.

Leslie potential as a pro I believe is very similar to what numbers he out up in college. As a late pick in the 20’s, I think he is absolutely worth the risk, and if he pans out he is capable of putting up 12 pts 7 boards 3 assist 1.2 stls and 1.4 blks a game. Which would be a steal.

In order for Leslie to be drafted in the first round, he needs to show scouts this year that he is turning his “tweener” label into “versatile”

[Author]

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