2012 NBA Draft Profile: Meyers Leonard

Meyers Leonard
Illinois - Sophomore (Born 1992)
Center
7'1" 250lbs


The Good:

- NBA size, strength
- 7'3" wingspan
- athletic and agile for a big man
- still young - plenty of upside
- great shotblocker/defender
- good footspeed on offense & defense
- can really explode off the floor - good vertical
- game and body has improved rapidly year by year
- international experience playing for the U.S. U-19 Team



The Bad:

- offensive game is still underdeveloped
- extremely inconsistent
- very emotional player
- inexperienced - barely played his freshman year at Illinois
- will probably be a project his first few years in the league


NBA Comparison: 

Jason Smith, poor man's Tyson Chandler


The Skinny:

They say you can't teach height, so 7'1" Meyers Leonard has a very valuable commodity.  But Leonard is more than just a tall guy - he is athletic, strong and has plenty of potential.  With the way he has been improving rapidly every year, he could be a real steal of the draft.



For more NBA draft player profiles, visit our 2012 NBA Draft Consensus Mock Draft