The Meyers Leonard Thread

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magnifier661 said:
You can see how the instincts of a player is at any level of competition. Leonard is completely lost on the defensive end. Watching him in a summer league game, pick-up games or the NBA is no different. You can see how a player reacts when the ball leaves the shooter's hand, or how he can scan the floor and find his man. PAy attention next game and watch how he is constantly looking around, confused on where his man is supposed to be. It really frustrates me.
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Unfortunately I have to agree with you. He just does not instinctively react well on defense. He always seems to be thinking what to do instead of just doing it. Isn't he a relatively late bloomer to playing the center position? I think that is part of the issue. It is going to take more time for the game to slow down for him.

I have said all along we need 3 centers on this team. I guess maybe Joel and LMA equal one so we could be ok. But I would prefer to add one more center with defensive instincts.
 
HailBlazers said:
Not off limits. Just short sighted to determine his viability based on summer league; it has the ability to make bad players look really good, and for some positions make legit role players look really bad.
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I think many would say this is a non sequitur. Which forum has he ever looked good in? We DESPERATELY needed bench help last year, but he was not helpful. He has certainly never passed the eye test. So, after a poor rookie season it is reasonable to say "Well, he's had 3 more months of practice and coaching maybe he's OK now - crap, he isn't". NO ONE is just looking at this summer league.
 
He was helpful last year though

Agree about the eye test, but we could have done a lot worse
 
BlazerCaravan said:
That'd be him... taking the Ponce De Leon pills, as Schonz put it. :D

Seriously, though... who *couldn't* name him?!
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I know what those pills were. Before he headed to the MC, he would stop at our local 7-11 (on the corner of Bryant and Lakeview in Lake Grove) and get a large coffee (with cream and sugar).
 
magnifier661 said:
Do you remember one game when Adelman called his number and he forgot to put on his jersey? I was like WTF?!?!?!
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Was it his jersey or his shorts? I remember he started to take off his warmups and then suddenly ran back to the lockerroom.
 
Maybe Meyers future is as a PF, where his inability to guard the paint will not be as important.

How many blocks has he had in summer league so far, 1? I remember summer league scrubs like Stephen Hill getting 5 in one play.

The Blazers are trying to force Meyers to be Joel Pryzbilla when he's really more like Channing Frye.
 
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magnifier661 said:
If we had a rotation player that could give us a good 5-10 minutes of solid defensive center minutes; I would be fine with the slow development of Leonard. Problem is Leonard is our only true back-up at center. Our entire defense should have at least a semi-decent defender anchoring the paint. This is my beef. I want us to have an Evans, Dalembert or others similar that can stop gap for the next 3 years.
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Then you should be mad at the General Manager. Not the 21 year-old over-sized puppy.
 
How do you evaluate a "big"? Listen to what Nate Mcmillan says and think about ML (2:40 mark):

[video]
 
I'm watching todays game for the first time. Meyers reminding me of Big Z with that soft jumper.
 
I'm still hoping to see something. Actually i thought he looked better last year. Not fluid at all. As Magnifier mentioned, no instincts at all; doesn't know how to present himself near the basket for a dropoff pass. In some ways, his man on man defense looks a little better, but help defense has not improved.
 
He rebounds better than Lopez on the defensive glass

Horrible oreb% though
 
He rebounds worse defensively than ml, but "that's fine"

:biglaugh:
 
Leonard finally rebounds and no love?
 
Can't tell if one game of rebounding at SL means anything, but the coaches said they talked to him about it before the game and watched some video. Nice to see that maybe something clicked. It looked like he was blocking out better. Hopefully we can see more of that next season.
 
When he has a bad game or a great game, he is still the same guy as before said game

A perfectly decent backup center
 
Reep said:
Can't tell if one game of rebounding at SL means anything, but the coaches said they talked to him about it before the game and watched some video. Nice to see that maybe something clicked. It looked like he was blocking out better. Hopefully we can see more of that next season.
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I watched Leonard last game and he was very active. If he played like that most the time, you'd hear no beef from me. That's what's he's capable of right now and the improvement is more about timing. He needs to just do fundamentals and let the game eventually come to him.

I think he's too worried about what he needs to do and just do what he's capable of doing. The rest will fall in place.
 
PS... Is anyone else concerned that he's good at shooting the three? He's got the physique to punish players down low and I worry he will fall in love with that shot.

Although Lambeer was a three point shooter. Fuck what do I know?!
 
magnifier661 said:
PS... Is anyone else concerned that he's good at shooting the three? He's got the physique to punish players down low and I worry he will fall in love with that shot.

Although Lambeer was a three point shooter. Fuck what do I know?!
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Leonar_ has a decent shot from three for a center. It's his defense that sucks ass
 
Mediocre Man said:
Leonar_ has a decent shot from three for a center. It's his defense that sucks ass
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I will admit that it looks really good.

That's what I was saying in the post before this one. If he just kept it simple and played fundamentals; he'd be totally fine. I actually think he's over thinking it too much and gets lost.
 
I have to admit, if he's always going to be clueless on defense, at least he's improving towards his streangths... 7'1" SF? :ghoti:
 
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