Mopin' Meyers Leonard, Stay Away from Milwaukee

The NBA Draft is on Thursday, and with the Milwaukee Bucks picking 12th, no one has any idea who the Bucks are picking.  There are suggestions of Tyler Zeller, Perry Jones III, Terrance Jones, Jeremy Lamb, and there is another one.  One tall suggestion, one from the Big Ten.

His name is Meyers Leonard, and if he is a Buck on Thursday night, it is going to suck.  Especially if guys like Zeller, Jones, and even Jones III are still on the board.  He does absolutely nothing for me even if he is 7'1 and extremely athletic.

Leonard is an attractive pick because of his height, but he only played full-time one year at Illinois where averaged 13 points a game and 8 rebounds a game.  That is considered a top fifteen pick, when his team pails in comparison to the others on the board?  I feel like Seth Myers, really?  Really NBA?  In my mind, Leonard is 'that guy' who is up there based on strictly potential.

I asked my buddy Doz who watches more Big Ten basketball more than anyone I know, and he said, 'Leonard is a good player, but he is very selfish, pouts, and gets down on himself.'  It confirmed my personal feelings on Leonard.  Leonard has a ton of growing up to do before he starts worrying about basketball. Leonard is probably two years away from being an actual contributor in the NBA.  Do the Bucks really need another Larry Sanders?  Leonard will be a less awkward version of Sanders. The Bucks have to the tools to be in the the playoffs.

The Bucks have to value to the 'eye test' of scouts, and other people who actually watch games.  For example, Seth Davis of CBS Sports rated Leonard as one of his most overvalued player and Royce White of Iowa State, one of his most undervalued player. I couldn't agree more.  Davis watches college basketball on a regular basis (it's his job), and anyone watching Leonard would see a guy not ready for the big lights of an NBA team.

Furthermore, the combination of playing in the Big Ten and playing for Illinois is not an encouraging one for the NBA.  The Big Ten does not play an NBA style of basketball. The adjustment alone will be harder for a guy like Leonard compared to Zeller, Jones, or Jones III.  Those three guys played against competition is more like the NBA.  I realize many Big Ten fans will disagree with that assessment, but the fact is the ACC, SEC, and Big 12 tend to produce more successful NBA talent.

The Bucks' draft is always unpredictable. They have hit before with Andrew Bogut, and they have struck out with Joe Alexander.  Leonard will be in the category of Joe Alexander.

Charlie.