People are obsessed with former first round picks here.
He's having a heck of a first half tonight. Hasn't missed from the floor, draining threes, bullet dimes, forcing turnovers on the perimeter.
He probably isn't even better than the players we have though.
Same draft class as Zeller, taken a few slots ahead. I think Leonard is quicker, stronger and more athletic. Range to three. Still just as prone to inconsistent and unfocused play.
I think I'd take Leonard over Zeller, and definitely take him over Olynyk.
I would look at other players that are better first. Leonard is pretty good but even if he is better than what we have (which is debatable) it would not be a huge upgrade. Also Olynyk is 4 and Leonard is a 5 so I wouldn't compare Leonard to Olynyk or Sully or any of our 4s. I do like that he is a center that shoots 3s though.
This is one of the most clear examples of low floor vs high ceiling you could imagine. Same draft class. Both starting to find their way in rotations. Zeller produces more than Leonard esentially spamming low difficulty plays and executing them at a high level. His strong motor and years of developed intangibles -Tyler Zeller was essentially the highest profile player in one of the biggest basketball markets growing up - have allowed him to slice out a developed role to bring to the right system. But what if Meyers Leonard can bring more?
If this series has taught the team anything its that the easy buckets go away in the playoffs. Evan Turner runs into the brick wall that is the best player in the league. Isiah Thomas cant drive like he's alone on the court. Tyler Zeller can't slice lanes with impunity. You really do need to have players who can make plays that are unguardable. Alley oops. High release three point shots. Touch the sky blocks. Meyers Leonard is capable of making all of these plays and these are the plays that you can't take away.
Can he execute these plays enough to justify moving on from Zeller's half court cherry picking? That's the question. Regardless I'm not so sure Portland will let him walk if they lose Aldridge this offseason. Let's not forget that Leonard's was being compared to David Robinson physically during the draft process.
