NBA Comparison: Andray Blatche

Strengths: Miller is a long 6’10 215 PF/C with nicely developing strength, and he should only continue to fill out his frame in the future … Solid run-jump athlete that is most effective on the move … Has plenty of success as a rim-runner; can get up and down the floor before other big guys and did a great job of finishing strong around the hoop (60 FG% inside the arc) … Also shows good timing as a cutter and when operating as a roller in the screening game, being someone who can chip in easy points without having plays directly called for him (18 PPG on 55 FG%) … Nice hands and touch in close near the rim … Strong rebounding skills, particularly on the offensive glass, where he must be located to box out when shots go up and is a factor getting 2nd chance points (11 RPG, 3.2 ORPG) … On the defensive glass he shows flashes of being able to lead the break after grabbing missed shots, and he capable of handling the ball some in the open court … Above average 1st step for a 6’10 player and usually has a quickness advantage to face up & take bigs off the bounce when playing C … Has the tools to be able to successfully defend all along the frontcourt, with the footwork to switch on the perimeter and the budding strength to defend post-ups … Length (7’2 wingspan) makes him a more difficult matchup to shoot over and he showed flashes as a rim protector, especially as a weakside defender (0.9 BPG) … Plays to his strengths and sees the most success when he keeps it simple offensively … Made 79% of his FTs, which is encouraging to an extent for his potential to be a competent shooter as his range extends … His improvement from last year to now has been impressive; still continuing to make strides as a prospect and is a bit of a late bloomer …

Weaknesses: Offensive skill level is raw and has some fundamentals that need to be refined, particularly in the halfcourt … Struggles as a floor spacer (32.7 3FG% on 2.2 3FGA/G); has a slow, mechanical shooting form that often led to flat misses … Too much wasted lower body motion and inconsistent footwork getting into his shot when spotting up … Plays with a high center of gravity operating with the ball that makes him susceptible to getting pick pocketed in traffic by help defenders and even sometimes on the ball … Not much of a shot creator against set defenses and generally has to find ways to get points by moving off the ball … Can struggle as a decision maker with the ball if you take away the things he wants to do or pressure him and make him read & react to action on the fly … Doesn’t really operate as a low block post scorer; prefers to face the basket almost exclusively … Budding playmaking ability but needs polish and to improve his feel and vision; will telegraph passes and at times commit awkward turnovers on what should be routine plays … Defensive fundamentals could use some work; his high center of gravity works against him here as well … Has struggled to sink his hips and chop his feet to keep the ball and man in front of him, which led to him being vulnerable against quick slashers and shot fakes on the perimeter … More of a PF than a wing or a big man, as he has some traits for both the perimeter and the paint but doesn’t exclusively play either role …

Overall: Leonard Miller is a Canadian-bred prospect who played basketball in the Ontario area & represented Canada on the FIBA U16 team before transferring to schools in Utah & Florida to make a name for himself … After struggling with injuries and receiving little playing time he transferred back to Canada and began to emerge in around the fall of 2021 as a late blooming frontcourt player who had a big growth spurt (reportedly from 6’5 to 6’10 in less than 2 years) and made even more of a name for himself in the limited action he saw in the 2022 Nike Hoop Summit … Shortly after, he declared for the 2022 NBA Draft, presumably to get feedback heading into this past season, and after a month he decided to withdraw and join the G-League Ignite program as an 18 year old…He enjoyed an overall solid season where he continued to show the rim-running athleticism, flashes of open court handling and passing, while also showing encouraging defensive potential guarding near the basket … He still is learning the nuances of the game and is a bit of a project right now, with his athleticism and physical tools being ahead of his skill level at the moment…But his production was pretty impressive given his lack of experience and overall polish (14 double doubles in 24 games during the ‘22-23 season) and offers hope that he can develop into a worthwhile frontcourt guy who can play defense against modern NBA style frontcourt guys while also being a solid offensive contributor without having plays drawn up for him … He’s still growing into himself and getting used to operating the frontcourt, but he is an upside pick that teams in the mid to late 1st round will be intrigued by considering the strides he made from last summer until now …

Notes: Measured: 6′ 9.25” barefoot, 8′ 10.50” standing reach 212.8 lbs, 7′ 2.00” wingspan and a 37 inch maximum vertical at the 2023 NBA Draft Combine … Measured: 6’8.5” barefoot, 6’10.0” in shoes, 8’10.5” standing reach, 211 lbs, 7’2.0” wingspan at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine  …

Jorrye Nixon 6/14.23