The 20-year old big man has a massive frame for someone so young – 7’1” and 250 pounds – and that size is exactly what the Pistons have lacked for several years now. He could be the true center that the team has needed; they’ve been swapping power forwards in at the five spot for awhile now.

As with every draft prospect, there are going to be pros and cons to selecting one of the many young men who leave school for the NBA.

Leonard’s biggest pro is his size, obviously. He could immediately join with Greg Monroe to form a long, athletic frontcourt – again, something that Detroit hasn’t had in some time. I hate to sound like a broken record with that, but as someone who has watched countless Piston drafts go by without a significant big man selection, it’s encouraging to know that the team will work Leonard out.

The length that Leonard would bring immediate dividends on the defensive end, as the former Fighting Illini big man averaged 1.9 blocks a game last season, up from just 0.4 in his freshman year. He also grabbed 8.2 rebounds a game last season – an increase of seven rebounds from his first year in Champaign.

For someone his size, Leonard also has an extremely good shooting touch. Field goal percentage is generally pretty high, considering their proximity to the basket, but free throws always seem to be their undoing. Not so for Meyers – he has a career average of 72% from the stripe.

In terms of true shooting percentage (every shot taken, not just field goals), Leonard was eighth in the Big Ten last season at 61.8%. His ability to shoot should prove helpful on any pick-and-roll situations that come up once he’s drafted.

That combination of physical gifts and basketball skills aren’t common in most 20 year olds, let alone some older players. His ability to shoot so well likely comes from his past, as he entered high school as a guard, but experienced a six inch growth spurt.

As I said above, every player has their flaws. Leonard is no exception, as he has been described as a raw talent and someone that could use motivation at times. His youth definitely plays a role in that, as he will seemingly forget that he’s over 7′ tall, and fade away from the basket.

Weight is also something that could be improved upon by Leonard. Despite being 250 pounds, he could stand to add muscle, or else he’ll get pushed around in the NBA. That’s something that is definitely achievable, especially with all the resources available to pro basketball players.

Leonard will be able to show Joe Dumars and company exactly what he can do in an upcoming draft workout scheduled for next Monday, July 25. The workout – featuring Henson, Jones, Sullinger, Zeller, and Terrence Jones – could ultimately decide the fate of whoever the Pistons do or don’t pick just three days later.

ESPN analyst Chad Ford had this to say about Leonard:

At this point in the draft, Leonard is risky but could have huge upside. (He’s) a work in progress, but has the size and athletic ability to be a dominant big man down the road.

Will the Pistons be willing to take the risk and select Leonard at nine? Do you think they can afford to wait and develop him alongside Greg Monroe?

They’ve scheduled workouts with several of the most likely options available to them at that pick, including North Carolina forward John Henson, who has been projected as Detroit’s pick for some time now. Surprisingly, that official team workout won’t take place until the 25th of this month – just three days before the actual draft.

In an interview with the Free Press after the predraft combine, the 6’10” big man said he would be working out against the likes of Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger, Baylor’s Perry Jones and Kentucky’s Terrence Jones; another trio of players that would probably be available for the Pistons to select in the draft. As of right now, all of these players are projected to go in the mid- to late-lottery, so having them compete together could absolutely shift draft stocks and teams’ opinions.

I think it’s a great idea scheduling all of them together. It allows the Pistons to see how the different styles of each player – Henson’s length and shot-blocking ability, Sullinger’s low-post game, P. Jones’ athleticism, and T. Jones’ face-up game – interact against each other. It also gives them a chance to see a variety of players in one workout, meaning they won’t have to schedule a plethora of workouts.

None of the potential picks are without their drawbacks, of course.

Henson, at 220 pounds, will absolutely need to bulk up. Plain and simple, a 220-pound forward will get eaten alive in the Association. The Pistons already have a player in Austin Date that hasn’t been able to add bulk since being drafted by the Pistons, so clearly they’ll need to work on strength and conditioning in Auburn Hills.

For Sullinger, it’s the same problem, just the other way. Last week at the draft combine, Sullinger weighed in at 268.2 pounds with 10.7 percent body fat. That’s the fifth-highest at the combine – he’ll likely need to trim down a bit if he doesn’t want to become the next Sean Mays.

The Jones’ – Perry and Terrence – both suffer from a lack of position. While both can jump out of the gym, they lack an ideal game to match their heights and weights. Perry is 6’11” and 234, while Terrence is 6’9” and 252; both would be great in the low-post, if they could learn that style.

The Pistons haven’t forgotten about their second round selections, though.

They have planned workouts with a trio of forwards – Quincy Miller from Baylor, Jeff Taylor from Vanderbilt, and JaMychal Green from Alabama. It’s good to see them going for potential youth and depth in the second round, which is something the team could’ve used this past season.

The team is also looking for backup guards, as they have already worked out Missouri guard Marcus Denmon, Marquette’s Darius Johnson-Odom, and Cal Santa Barbara’s Orlando Johnson. With the possibility of Ben Gordon being amnestied, the final year of Will Bynum’s contract, and the lack of quality bench guards after that, it will only benefit the team to look at these players.
 

Ref: Detroit Free Press