NBA Draft Profiles: Travis Leslie, Georgia

Bjorn Zetterberg of SwishScout.com will be helping us out with all of our NBA Draft Profiles this year. You can follow him on twitter @swishscout.

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Stats: 14.4 ppg, 7.2 rpg,, 3.2 off, 1.2 spg, 2.9 apg, 30.2% 3PT

Age: 21, junior

Size:

• Listed: 6'4", 205 lb
• Official: 6'3" (no shoes), 6'4/25" (with shoes), 6'11" (wingspan), 8'7" (reach), 205 lb

Strengths: What makes Leslie such an intriguing prospect is his overall physical profile. Simply put, he is a specimen. He is the best athlete in this draft class, an explosive leaper that could very well win an NBA dunk contest at some point down the road. He has an almost seven foot wingspan, which combined with his strength makes him a superb finisher around -- and well above -- the rim. He's an active player that excels at getting to the offensive glass and scores quite a few cuts off of cuts to the rim and by getting out on the wing in transition. While is ability on the offensive end of the floor is limited, Leslie has the potential to be a terror on the defensive end of the floor at the next level. He is a bit under sized for a two guard, but he has the wingspan to make up for it and the athleticism to defend any of the three perimeter positions.

Weaknesses: The most obvious weakness in Leslie's game is his limited offensive repertoire. While he shot 30.2% from beyond the arc this season, that came on a very limited number of attempts. Leslie is not a skilled ball-handler, either. He is able to put the ball on the floor and get to the rim in straight line drives, but he is not a player that you want bringing the ball up court and is not effective changing directions when attacking the basket. While he is one of the best guards finishing around the rim, Leslie's mid-range game, pull-up jumper, and floaters need quite a bit of work as well. Leslie is, more or less, a power forward in an under-sized shooting guards body. There is also concern about the amount of time he has spent defending on the perimeter. There were quite a few times this past season where he defended an opponent's power forward.

Comparisons:

• Best Case Scenario: Tony Allen (before injury). Before the devastating knee injury in 2007, Allen was an uber athletic forward who was as explosive an athlete there was in the league. Neither are great at creating
  their own shot or shooting the ball, but Leslie is an outstanding athlete, an absolute ball hawk, and plays hard on both ends of the floor in the mold of a young Allen who did early in his Celtics career. Tony Allen post-injury has been a serious contributor for Memphis the last few years.


• Worst Case Scenario: More athletic Keith Bogans. Bogans has embraced his role with the Bulls as being a predominant defender, and Leslie has the natural gifts to be that in league. His offensive arsenal is limited and far from refined, and if Travis can’t get a better grip on his handles or learn to shoot the ball, he probably becomes a player in the mold of Bogans.

Outlook: Leslie is a unique prospect given his physical gifts. There aren't many players out there with his combination of athleticism, strength, and length. At the very worst, he is a player that will be able to contribute defensively and on the glass at both ends of the floor. He seems like the kind of player that will be able to embrace the role of junkyard dog at the next level. The x-factor here is that Leslie has a tremendous amount of room to grow. Right now, there is not much that he does on the offensive end of the floor at an NBA level beyond finishing around the basket. If he puts in the work on his jump shot and his ball handling ability, he has a chance to be a very effective player. There is a reason that guys like DeShawn Stevenson, Tony Allen, and James Posey always seem to work there way into the starting lineups of quality basketball teams. You need a defensive stopper. You need someone that can hold their own against the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, and Derrick Rose. The guys that stick around the longest in those roles are the guys that are also able to function on the offensive end of the floor. If there is a red flag with Leslie, its that this was the exact same scouting report on him after his sophomore season, but there wasn't a significant improvement in his game as a junior. Is he willing to put in the work required to improve?

Draft Range: Late 1st to Early 2nd Round

And the experts say...

• Chad Ford: "An amazing athlete and perhaps the best leaper in college basketball, Leslie could compete in an NBA dunk contest. But is he an NBA player? His lack of a jump shot and lack of size for his position have scouts worried. If he was two inches taller and could stroke the ball, he'd be a lottery pick. As it stands now, he's on the first-round bubble. "


• Draft Express: "Able to play significantly bigger than his 6'4 height, Leslie's most notable development this season lies in the way he's able to score inside the arc. Often struggling to get all the way to the rim as freshman, but doing a much better job going up strong around the basket last season, the Georgia native has developed an improved comfort level and slightly better touch in the paint this season. According to Synergy Sports Technology, he's shooting 58% in finishing situations this season. Accounting for more than half of his shots both this and last season, that's a significant improvement over the 50% he shot last year. At this point, he's backing up his one or two highlight reel dunks every game with rock solid efficiency, even if he's not getting to the free throw line quite as often as he did in the past."


• Swish Scout: "Extremely athletic guard who is active on both ends of the court, rebounds at a high rate, and possesses raw NBA talent. Leslie isn’t a very good shooter or ball handler, but he as an absolute ballhawk that has a game adaptable for league play with some work."

Highlights:




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Expect to see more players like Travis Leslie and Malcolm Lee stay in the draft

Georgia's Travis Leslie and UCLA's Malcolm Lee are the latest underclassmen to make a decision on their basketball playing future.

But unlike lottery locks Perry Jones and Jared Sullinger, Leslie and Lee, both juniors, signed with agents on Tuesday. They are, for better or for worse, no longer college basketball players.

"After talking it over with my family, I have decided that I will forgo my senior year and enter into the NBA Draft," Leslie said in a statement. "I would like to thank UGA for giving me the opportunity, as well as Coach Fox and the staff in helping me to improve my game. Last but not least, I'd like to thank the Georgia fans for their support over the past three years."

The 6'4" wing forward, who averaged 14.4 ppg and 7.2 rpg as a junior, is currently considered a borderline first round pick. He's one of the best athletes in the draft, but he's a bit undersized for his natural position as a small forward and he lacks the perimeter skills to be a two-guard.

Lee's statement was much of the same: "After speaking to my family, I have carefully weighed all of my options, and at this time, I have decided to hire an agent and withdraw from my classes. My three years at UCLA were the best time of my life. I will miss my teammates, coaches, faculty, friends and all of the great fans at UCLA. I have had a lot of fun being a Bruin and I appreciate everything Coach [Ben] Howland has done for me. I am very proud to be a Bruin and I will always call this place home. My dream has always been to play in the NBA and I think that this is the best time for me to try and make that a reality."

The difference, however, lies in Lee's potential as a professional.

He's an excellent defensive player and has the size (6'5") and the frame (210 lb) to matchup with NBA two-guards and the quickness to defend point guards. The questions lie is his skill set and understanding of the game. He can score, but he's not an NBA level penetrator or spot-up shooter. Lee lacks a position on the offensive end of the floor, and his lack of production doesn't bode well. (To be fair, those were the same knocks that Jrue Holiday and Russell Westbrook had coming out of UCLA.)

Leslie's decision to hire an agent was much less of a surprise than Lee's, and as such, Lee's decision was questioned by folks on twitter.

And while we can all question the intelligence in squandering a final year of collegiate eligibility to chase an NBA dream, we should get used to it. Because over the coming two weeks, there will likely be a number of other "questionable" draft decisions.

The 2011 draft is one of the weakest in recent memory, especially when looking at the players coming from the college ranks. Five of the top ten in the Draft Express mock draft never played any college basketball. With the number of lottery picks and first rounders that are returning to school, it only strengthens what already appeared to be a loaded 2012 draft class.

For prospects that have borderline first round pick kind of talent, leaving this year ends up being the better option. While they may get a chunk of their 2011 guaranteed salary eaten up by the NBA's lockout, at least they will have that guaranteed contract. That may not be the case next season.

A strong draft means more talent will be available late in the first round and into the second round. But it also means that kids that would have had a chance to make some guaranteed money if they left this season will be stuck trying to play their way onto a team.

You can question the decisions that Leslie and Lee made if you like.

But be prepared to see more "questionable" decisions made before the May 8th deadline to withdraw from the draft.
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POSTERIZED: Travis Leslie does it again

At the end of Saturday, 144 games will have taken place. Needless to say, there also will have been a severe lack of big-time dunks.

But it certainly won't be because of Travis Leslie.

Because the dude did the damn thing. Again.



But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Matt Dickey, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Jeff Robinson, Xavier
POSTERIZED - Nyika Williams
POSTERIZED - Jawanza Poland, South Florida
POSTERIZED - Brady Jardine, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Peyton Siva, Louisville
POSTERIZED - E'Twaun Moore, Purdue
POSTERIZED - DJ Newbill, Southern Mississippi
POSTERIZED - Scotty Hopson, Tennessee
POSTERIZED - Justin Brownlee, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Tyrone Johnson
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Ross, Washington
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Andre Roberson, Colorado
POSTERIZED - Durrell Summers, Michigan State
POSTERIZED - Phillip McDonald, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Kyle Kuric, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Anthony Nelson, Niagara
POSTERIZED - Cory Joseph, Texas
POSTERIZED - Will Sheehey, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Tom Pritchard, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Asheville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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POSTERIZED: Travis Leslie, need I say more?

Best dunker in the country?

I certainly think so.

Leslie's 2011 resume already includes this and this. Plus I don't think anybody will be forgetting this

Yesterday, he added this to his ever-growing dunk repertoire:



I'm starting to think that the only way you can stop Travis Leslie from dunking on your face is to tackle him as soon as he get's the ball. But I'm not sure if that's legal.

But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Terrence Ross, Washington
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Andre Roberson, Colorado
POSTERIZED - Durrell Summers, Michigan State
POSTERIZED - Phillip McDonald, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Kyle Kuric, Louisville
POSTERIZED - Anthony Nelson, Niagara
POSTERIZED - Cory Joseph, Texas
POSTERIZED - Will Sheehey, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Tom Pritchard, Indiana
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - John Holland, Boston
POSTERIZED - Keith Gabriel, VMI
POSTERIZED - Travis McKie, Wake Forest
POSTERIZED - Jefferson Mason, Minnesota State (D-II)
POSTERIZED - Tyler Johnson, Fresno State
POSTERIZED - Justin Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Hollis Thompson, Georgetown
POSTERIZED - Darnell Wilks, Cincinnati
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
POSTERIZED - Darrius Garrett, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Travis Cohn, Jacksonville
POSTERIZED - Ramon Galloway, South Carolina
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Justin Tubbs, East Tennessee State
POSTERIZED - John Williams, UNC-Ashville
POSTERIZED - Kevin Smith, Richmond
POSTERIZED - Mitchell Watt, Buffalo
POSTERIZED - Chandler Parsons, Florida
POSTERIZED - Kenny Gabriel, Auburn
POSTERIZED - Paris Horne, St. John's
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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POSTERIZED: Travis Leslie tip-dunks his own missed three

From the time we are kids all the way to the professional level, one of the most heard sayings by a coach is to follow your shot.

Why?

As the shooter, you have the best feel of where the ball is going to miss. More importantly however, if you are a good shooter, you generally miss either long or shot and not off to the side. And if your shot is aligned right but too long or too short, then the rebound is more than likely going to come right back in the direction that it was shot from, i.e. to the shooter.

Travis Leslie has obviously paid attention to his coaches growing up:



This isn't the first time that Leslie has made a name for himself with a dunk. He windmilled in a game against Notre Dame this season, and who can forget his vicious facial on DeMarcus Cousins.

But was it as good as one of these?:

POSTERIZED - Laurence Bowers, Missouri
POSTERIZED - Drew Gordon, New Mexico
POSTERIZED - Tony Mitchell, Alabama
POSTERIZED - Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
POSTERIZED - LaMarcus Reed, UT-Arlington
POSTERIZED - Marcus Morris, Kansas
POSTERIZED - Jared Cunningham, Oregon State
POSTERIZED - Langston Morris-Walker
POSTERIZED - Chris Wright and Juwan Staten, Dayton
POSTERIZED - D.J Stephens, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Reeves Nelson, UCLA
POSTERIZED - Kendall Marshall and John Henson, UNC
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Joe Jackson, Memphis
POSTERIZED - Shay Shine, High Point
POSTERIZED - Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
POSTERIZED - Kent Bazemore, Old Dominion
POSTERIZED - CJ Fair, Syracuse
POSTERIZED - LeBryan Nash
POSTERIZED - Rodney Williams, Minnesota
POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie, Georgia
POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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POSTERIZED - Travis Leslie proves Troy right

Travis Leslie is playing in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, FL. Apparently, he thinks he is Vince Carter, because the Bulldogs junior put on a dunking show on Thanksgiving.

The first was an alley-oop that Leslie caught, reaching behind his body with one hand to make the catch. There is no video up of this dunk yet, but there will be. And when there is, it will be here. Trust.

The second was a windmill. A full windmill. Take a look:



Troy's been arguing Travis Leslie is the best dunker in the country since the summer. It looks like the Trizzle is right.

POSTERIZED - Terrence Jones, Kentucky
POSTERIZED - Marcus Jordan, Central Florida
POSTERIZED - Lorenzo Brown, NC State
POSTERIZED - Tai Wesley, Utah State
POSTERIZED - Trent Lockett, Arizona State, and Derrick Williams, Arizona
POSTERIZED - Brandon Paul, Illinois
POSTERIZED - Jordan Hamilton, Texas
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Who is the Midseason Dunker of the Year?

Prior to the season's first tip-off, we provided you with our projections as to who we thought were the top high-flyers in college hoops. After nearly three months of action, it seem like a fitting time to make midseason picks as dunker of the year.

In November we believed that Dayton's Chris "top Flight" Wright would be the most electrifying dunker of the 2009-2010 season. Well, as of now, Wright has yet to really get off the tarmac, but with another two months of hoops left, anything can happen. At this point in the season, it is looking like a two-horse race between UConn's Stanley Robinson and Georgia's Travis Leslie. There is one sleeper that we should keep a watch out for in the last two months: Cal State Fullerton's Gerard Anderson.


Stanley "Sticks" Robinson - UConn

Best dunker of the year, and it's not even close. Seriously, it is hard for me to put in words right now just how ridiculous Robinson is at dunking. I have not seen a player with this type of leaping ability since Deron Washington of Virginia Tech. Yes, we knew this prior to the season, but watching him dunk this season still boggles my mind. The majority of Robinson's highlight reel dunks have come off of tip-ins and alley-oops. He might not be the most technical dunker, but he sure is the flashiest and the most acrobatic.
















Travis Leslie - Georgia

I would like to apologize to Mr. Leslie for failing to recognize him in the preseason for his dunking abilities. The argument could be made that Leslie is the top dunker of the season. After all, through nearly three months of play, he is in sole possession of Dunk of the Year. Robinson might be the most acrobatic dunker in the country, but it could be contested that Leslie is the best technical rim-rocker. Barring a miracle which sends Georgia to the Final Four, it's nearly a guarantee that Leslie will be showcased in the NCAA slam dunk competition in Indianapolis.




The rest of his stuff ain't bad either. Here is Leslie's stellar resume:








Gerard Anderson - Cal State Fullerton

Anderson was one of our sleeper picks in our Dunker of the Year projections back in November. He has more than earned a spot as contender for Dunker of the Year. This kid can throw down from anywhere. He has an unusually long reach and uses it, along with his freakish hops to soar high above the rim.








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POSTERIZED Pick 'em: Stanley Robinson vs. Travis Leslie

Which was better?





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