During a recent interview with Zach Lowe, Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Neil Oshley implied Meyers Leonard would be a starter. It could just be an offhand comment during an interview, but it looks like Leonard might have an edge over the Trail Blazers’ growing stable of big men come training camp.
Leonard did develop to a degree last season in limited minutes, but his insertion into the starting lineup could have a major impact on the team. Let’s take a look at what Leonard brings to the table and whether or not he’s ready to be a starter. Keep in mind his stats are based on his limited playing time; he averaged 15.4 minutes a game, playing a total of 847 minutes for the season.
Pros
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While LaMarcus Aldridge’s departure left a hole on the team, Meyers Leonard may be able to provide a facsimile of what Aldridge provided on the offensive end, at least in terms of being Damian Lillard’s pick-and-roll partner. If last season is any indication, Leonard has deeper range than Aldridge, and unlike him, actually likes driving at the rim off the roll.
Leonard scored 1.32 points per possession (PPP) as the roll man last season, finishing within the 93rd percentile of the league.
Leonard has also turned himself into a pretty decent shooter. He scored 1.16 PPP while shooting 44 percent from the field, and had an effective field goal percentage of 60.2 percent. This might lean towards being more of an anomaly considering his limited playing time, but the fact remains that his shooting is something to keep an eye on.
His recent introduction into the 50-40-90 Club should bolster his rep as a deadly shooter.
Last season, he shot 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 90 percent from the free throw line. For reference, that club includes MVPs and NBA champions like Larry Bird, Steve Nash, Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki, and of course … José Calderon (OK, maybe the list isn’t bulletproof after all).
In terms of scoring, Leonard seems to be a major plus that would be a welcome addition to an offensively flawed lineup but he comes with a few deficiencies as well.
Cons
Despite scoring at a high rate as a roll man, Leonard is not a great screener. He often sets screens with a wide stance that causes enough contact with the player he’s trying to screen that either slows him down coming off the roll or solicits an offensive foul call from the refs.
His screens rarely spring the ball handler from the defense, and leave it up to the ball handler to score or avoid a turnover. On top of that he sometimes looks down when he sets the screen so he is unable make the proper read, which leads to a fair amount of hesitation on his part, messing up the play.
All U Can Heat
His success as a roll man comes from his ability to slip the screen so well. Though he scores often, he rarely draws fouls. He only drew a foul 6.8 percent of the time as a roll man. Tyson Chandler, an excellent screener and roll man, drew a foul 23.8 percent of the time as a roll man.
As well as sometimes being a hindrance on the offensive end, he still has problems defending at an NBA level. Though he has made strides on that end, and become serviceable, he doesn’t have the lateral quickness to deal with guards. The inability to guard the 1-5 or 1-4 pick-and-roll is death in the NBA considering the number of star point guards in the league.
Decision
Ultimately, Meyers Leonard should not be a starter, at least not now. While he does have a sizeable advantage over the other Trail Blazer big men in terms of offense, his abilities on the defensive end come up short when compared to the abilities of his teammates. The defensive limitations of the backcourt also have a part to play in Leonard’s candidacy as a starter.
Lillard and C.J. McCollum cannot consistently keep opposing guards in front of them. That leaves the frontcourt to clean up the mess and protect the rim, and at this time, Leonard isn’t up to the task. That’s not to say that he won’t grow into a plus defender and rim protector, but him coming off the bench may be in the best interest of the Trail Blazers.
Next: Can Damian Lillard's 3-Point Shooting Help His Teammates?
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