TJ Leaf, PF, UCLA
Another power forward the Heat are (probably) heavily scouting is UCLA’s TJ Leaf. The freshman is having a great first year, averaging 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists with a 61.6 field-goal percentage.
What’s most enticing about him is his potential as a stretch-4. Leaf is shooting 45.6 percent from three this season, on 1.7 attempts per game. It’s definitely still a work in progress, but early indications of his abilities from deep are there, at least.
On Dec. 3, Leaf faced off against Adebayo and Kentucky’s eighth-ranked defense (according to KenPom). And he was brilliant.
Leaf scored 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out five dimes, blocked a shot and even nailed a three. It was the performance that put him on the map as a one-and-done prospect.
Leaf is a great distributor, both from the paint and the outside. He’s got a solid post game and a surprisingly tight handle for a big that helps him put the ball on the floor and keep opposing players off balance. He may not be the best defender, but that matters just a little less when you consider the number of minutes he would spend playing along Whiteside.
Finally, Leaf isn’t the most athletic guy, but he’ll stun you with plays like this…
TJ Leaf's INSANE one-handed alley-oop scores the @OpusBank #12Best Moment! pic.twitter.com/BZSVZqKohJ
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) February 2, 2017
…when you least expect it.
Stretch-4 prototype Lauri Markannen won’t be available when Miami is on the clock, but Leaf could be a logical contingency plan.