Markji wrote:loweyecue wrote:This dude will never see any PT with Woodson, given his weaknesses. Nor should he.
Unless he overcomes his weaknesses. Grows up. Matures. The skill is there. Check out highlights of NC State against Duke (who was undefeated and ranked #1 at the time. Leslie (#5) outplayed Plumlee.
I agree. Leslie was a good signing. He would have been a good second round pick as that is a bit of a crapshoot and you take fliers on guys with elite athleticism. I wouldn't be surprised if the Knicks have Leslie spend significant time playing for the Bayhawks to work on his game.
playa2 wrote:Why would the knicks pick up Leslie when nobody else wanted him in the entire draft ?
By this logic, no un-drafted players should ever get signed. Keep in mind, players like Udonis Haslem, Raja Bell, Jeremy 'wonder-boy' Lin, Brad Miller, Jose Calderon, etc were all undrafted players who went on to have very good NBA careers....
Leslie was a very good pick up by the Knicks. Also heard he only had two workouts before shutting it down...I'm sure that didn't help him.
This guy reminds me of Derrick Brown, the 6'9 athletic guy we signed from Charlotte for a little while. No standout skills, just some size and athleticism. Maybe he can develop, but you have to coach him up a lot. We've got a good shot doctor and a good defensive coach, maybe he can fill a role that way and just hustle on the boards.
With all the old guys on our roster its good to have some youth and athleticism going into camp. Don't know much about him.
If he can stretch his shooting range out to the college line, while he still has his young athleticism, he will be a beast. The jumper is so critical in basketball. And we already have forwards and centers that love the paint.
He's a decent backup PF right now....But has potential to play 3 positions.
It feels good to finally have some potential back on the team. I'm hoping we can finally start grooming some home grown talent.
Physical tools is something you are born with. Long, fast and jump high. A lazy, slow motor is easier to fix. That depends on your team culture. I say bring Kenyon back just to be a mentor for him on how to succeed in the NBA, without any real offensive talent, but plenty of athleticism. Woodson, Kenyon Martin, Shump are perfect mentors for players that lack defensive energy.
He has close to a 7ft reach, 40in vert, and agility like a small forward. He just has to put it all together on the floor. Thats just maturity!
blkexec wrote:If he can stretch his shooting range out to the college line, while he still has his young athleticism, he will be a beast. The jumper is so critical in basketball. And we already have forwards and centers that love the paint.He's a decent backup PF right now....But has potential to play 3 positions.
It feels good to finally have some potential back on the team. I'm hoping we can finally start grooming some home grown talent.
Physical tools is something you are born with. Long, fast and jump high. A lazy, slow motor is easier to fix. That depends on your team culture. I say bring Kenyon back just to be a mentor for him on how to succeed in the NBA, without any real offensive talent, but plenty of athleticism. Woodson, Kenyon Martin, Shump are perfect mentors for players that lack defensive energy.
He has close to a 7ft reach, 40in vert, and agility like a small forward. He just has to put it all together on the floor. Thats just maturity!
His agility is actually BETTER than all SF's. He's like a PG in terms of his speed and agility. Basically he is a legit FREAK. He's long but has that low center of gravity with his hips. I think he has more skills than people are making him out to have. He just needs to work on his long range shooting, which for a guy with his ability shouldn't be that hard. IT's not like he has no shot at all, he just has a limited range, not unlike Udonis Haslem, who is money from 15', but never shoots outside his comfort zone.
nixluva wrote:blkexec wrote:If he can stretch his shooting range out to the college line, while he still has his young athleticism, he will be a beast. The jumper is so critical in basketball. And we already have forwards and centers that love the paint.He's a decent backup PF right now....But has potential to play 3 positions.
It feels good to finally have some potential back on the team. I'm hoping we can finally start grooming some home grown talent.
Physical tools is something you are born with. Long, fast and jump high. A lazy, slow motor is easier to fix. That depends on your team culture. I say bring Kenyon back just to be a mentor for him on how to succeed in the NBA, without any real offensive talent, but plenty of athleticism. Woodson, Kenyon Martin, Shump are perfect mentors for players that lack defensive energy.
He has close to a 7ft reach, 40in vert, and agility like a small forward. He just has to put it all together on the floor. Thats just maturity!
His agility is actually BETTER than all SF's. He's like a PG in terms of his speed and agility. Basically he is a legit FREAK. He's long but has that low center of gravity with his hips. I think he has more skills than people are making him out to have. He just needs to work on his long range shooting, which for a guy with his ability shouldn't be that hard. IT's not like he has no shot at all, he just has a limited range, not unlike Udonis Haslem, who is money from 15', but never shoots outside his comfort zone.
Really his problem is with his long range shooting. He is not terrible but not good either. At least his form is there. At least the guy can help with spot minutes and such. To have an athlete like that on your team with sooo much upside is incredible. A chance worth taking, really. The guy hasn't lived up to his potential, but didn't regress either. Outside of his inconsistent outside shot and sometimes motor, and tweener status, he has a lot.
Remember, this guy was a guaranteed 1st round pick for a while. We got lucky cause of all the Euro's selected in the 2nd round. Otherwise someone would have taken a chance on him.
This is our summer league sleeper.
The pick that never was whom turns out to be a player who raises his game to the level of competition.
As he stated, "I always showed up for big games"
Well son, all these games are big
With proper tutelage, I envision Jared Jeffries with hops and offense!
Jmpasq wrote:playa2 wrote:CrushAlot wrote:playa2 wrote:Why would the knicks pick up Leslie when nobody else wanted him in the entire draft ?
Leslie was a great signing. Knicks wanted him possibly at 24. If you look back at the draft thread he was the guy some were discussing as a puzzling non pick. He is very good.
So why wasn't he picked in the 2nd rd? Does he have any off the court issues ? Knicks brass said they were going to take Reggie Bullock at 24 if Hardaway was gone.
Lack of effort can be found all over his games. He doesnt compete consistently. He should be a very good defender with his length but it doesnt show up because he doesnt move his feet. Ive seen hi labeled as uncoachable to. Physically speaking he is talented enough and was worth signing. Worth giving him a year ont the team see if he improves
Mr Fugazy without a jump shot.
Manage your expectations, people! We're setting this kid up to fail- not sure he'll contribute this season, he has a lot to work on.
