Illinois center Meyers Leonard is considered to be long on potential with plenty of raw skills.Another in a series profiling some of the top players in the 2012 NBA Draft.
It's almost certainly going to be a few years before Meyers Leonard of Illinois makes an impact in the NBA.
So the team that takes Leonard in the June 28 draft will either have to be one that's rebuilding and can wait for the Illini sophomore to develop along with its other young players or a top team that isn't in need of immediate help.
Does one of those two sound like the Detroit Pistons?
Leonard certainly has some of the things the Pistons are seeking for in a draft pick. The 20-year-old center has all the traits teams look for in a big man: He stands 7 feet tall, weighs 240 pounds, has a large frame and a lengthy wingspan.
But at the same time, he's extremely raw, which is why mock drafts have Leonard being selected anywhere from the top 10 to the bottom half of the first round.
"A young, raw, long big man who needs a lot of work," says The Sporting News, which thinks Leonard will be taken with the 14th pick. "Stop us if you've heard this before. Though he is a project, he is, at least, a tall project, probably one of only two 7-footers (with Fab Melo) in the first round."
But is potential upside is what intrigues many scouts, according to NBA.com's David Aldridge, who ranks Leonard as the No. 3 center in the draft behind Connecticut's Andre Drummond and North Carolina's Tyler Zeller.
"He led the Big 10 in blocked shots, finished third in the conference in rebounding and was 11th in the country in field-goal percentage (.584) as a sophomore. Unlike many young big men, Leonard doesn't seem to mind actually playing in the paint," Aldridge wrote. "''I watched him twice this year, and I liked him,' an Eastern Conference GM said. 'And then when you really break down his game and watch him, that guy's got a great motor. He can really run.'
"But while Leonard made major strides between his freshman and sophomore seasons at Illinois, he'll need a few years to add some additional sinew to his 245-pound frame. Most think a couple of years in the weight room should take care of that, but in the interim, he'll likely get pushed around."
That's to be expected given that Leonard is clearly still a work in progress after playing barely one full season of college basketball.
Sure, he spent two seasons at Illinois, but he played just 8.2 minutes per game as a freshman, when he averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds.
As a sophomore, he saw 31.8 minutes of action per game and his scoring average jumped to 13.6 points while his rebounding improved to 8.2. He also blocked 1.9 shots per game.
See why Leonard has scouts intrigued?
"He's huge and a very good athlete for a player his size," wrote ESPN.com Insider Chad Ford. "He isn't Drummond-level freaky, but he's not far off. Leonard was just getting back from a workout in Portland with Tyler Zeller. The feedback from the workout, not surprisingly, had Zeller getting the better of Leonard. Zeller has two years more of college ball experience and is very crafty and skilled. If you want immediate impact, Zeller is your guy.
"But Leonard is much more athletic and has more upside if you're going to be patient. Usually big men with his size and athletic ability are top-10 picks. I think teams are concerned about his maturity and fear he may be a two- to three-year project. That may be right."
CBSSports.com's Jeff Goodman has Leonard being taken with the 10th pick while colleague Matt Moore of the same site thinks he'll go No. 14. NBA.com and Sports Illustrated predict Leonard will be the 12th pick, NBAdraft.net says he'll go 14th and DraftExpress.com believes he'll slip to No. 21.
Regardless of where Leonard goes, it looks like he'll be available when the Pistons pick ninth. Now, whether Detroit likes his potential and is willing to wait for him to develop remains to be seen.
"Leonard is a very nice prospect for the center position in the NBA," said NBAdraft.net. "Has really blossomed in his sophomore year and is just hitting his stride and was not a big factor in his freshman season.
"There really aren't a lot of weaknesses in his game. He should look to establish an offensive identity and continue to polish his all-around game. With his potential, he's sure to get some looks in the lottery."
Leonard is also considered a solid defensive player who at the offensive end of the floor moves well and has good hands for a big man.
"Leonard moves very fluidly for a player his size, running the floor well and showing solid explosiveness, vertically and laterally," DraftExpress.com said in its evaluation. " "Not the most naturally self-confident player around, he lacks assertiveness establishing deep position and calling for the ball at times, but adding strength as a sophomore seemed to help, and he looked to be fighting harder and embracing more contact during points in the season, which are positive signs for his development.
"Leonard's physical tools make him a rare and very intriguing prospect defensively, especially as his frame continues to fill out. He did a better job denying deep post position this season and generally displayed a good effort level, which combined with his size and length, makes him an effective one-on-one defender on the interior, as players have trouble scoring over the top of him."
In high school, Leonard led his team to the Illinois Class 2A state title as a senior and made the honor roll all four years.
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