Beyond Blazers Podcast/Profile: Meyers Leonard - Week 2 discussion topic

As for watching games- I've watched every game since my return from the military. Going on 8 years straight lol. There have been plenty of players who I have seen that don't pass the so called eye test - Hi Nolan Smith! - I just don't see Meyers as that guy. He has flashes of brilliance that not a single big on this team are capable of doing- stepping out and knocking down 3's at a ridiculous clip, working in the PnR, PnP and then out of nowhere he'll go out on the run and do something like this...




Yes- it's Andre, that's the ridiculousness of it that I love- but he has absolutely no hesitation whatsoever... when that attitude comes to the front- the kid is a handful. That's what makes me so bullish on his future.

 

It's not so much the dunk or who it's on- it's the confidence more than anything. When he has that confidence, he'd attempt that same dunk on anyone in the league. Where as, when he's hesitant he won't even go for the hook shot against a guy like 'Dre. That's the spectrum that he bounces between that I think causes so much polarization.

 

FWIW- I would kill to have Thibs as an Asst Coach. Can't run his god-awful flex/horns offense or burn out players, but like he did in Boston- he could instill a fantastic defensive scheme and gameplan. But alas... it will never happen.

 

The worst thing about Leonard's defense this year is that it validates my old pal mediocre man's take on Meyers from day one!

Here's to you, big guy:

 

As much cheddar as they pay the players, Uncle Paul should hand him a blank check.

 

Does Leonard even have decent mobility though? Dude can't move laterally at all, and he doesn't have the raw footspeed to keep up with 4s. Asik seemed far more capable in that respect.

 

I'm in the Leonard should learn how to play center camp. He can still catch teams off guard with a few wide open threes a game. Just the way he likes them. LaimBiebs Junior style.

He also likes to hack guys. I say bring in Bill Laimbeer for some proper tutelage!

 

Shit the more I think about it the more it bugs me. The team should have worked Meyers exclusively on low post offense and defense all summer. He can already shoot from anywhere. What center would be more effective pulling other centers away from the basket? He's a good passer too. He can shoot or pass or roll from the high post.

I guess Stotts doesn't run that kind of offense. God I miss 76-77-78.

 

For a guy Leonard's size- yes he has decent mobility. Not saying you do it- but a lot of folks tend to forget how truly big this guy is. He is a legit 7 footer, checking in at 7'1" 250 when he came out of school. Look at that video of Leonard dunking on Andre and tell me he's still 250 hahaha. For those that don't know- LMA , before he left was nearly 300lbs - checked in at 287-290 most days. So, yeah - for Leonard's size he has decent mobility- but really, it shouldn't be his mobility that the team takes advantage of- it's his size. It's his one asset you absolutely, positively cannot coach or replicate on this roster. Using it on the perimeter, to me, is foolish. But I'm not an NBA head coach... but I also expounded on that in the piece. That his being used at the 4 is more about the overall team concept as opposed to Leonard's usefulness.

 

Sometimes I think of Leonard as a student who gets good grades on his homework assignments but fails at taking tests under time pressure

 

LaMarcus could move his feet like nobody's business though. Aldridge routinely guarding guys on the perimeter, and did it adequately. Meyers has to back off 20 feet and concede wide open jumpshots because his reaction time is too slow.

 

I disagree with that. LMA was terrible guarding guys on the perimeter.

 

But is there a stat on getting out of position? Because if a guy doesn't react and is out of position, and doesn't defend a play at all then the stat might not count against him. I'd say he is a fair defender when he's actually in position to challenge a shot. And his career 3pt shooting is 37%. That's good, but not really "ridiculous".

It's nice to have a big man that can shoot...but that's if they are also doing the things a big man is supposed to do well. Meyers is the kind of guy that you could put a PG on him and shut him down, because he's not comfortable taking someone down low. He has the physicallity to be an inside man, but doesn't seem to have the mentality.

 

LMA was actually one of the best for his size, not named Anthony Davis on the perimeter. Which is why the Blazers cross matched as opposed to pre-switching PnR in late game situations. Shooting over the 7ft LMA is really difficult and he moved his feet well enough that he never really gave up the blow by- always managed to trail and alter the shot, while also not fouling. I've run the numbers before- I could do it again. Willing to be they're even better in SA with TD and Kawhi on the help side.

 

Meyer's DFG% and Rim Protection stats are based off of SportVU- and factor in vicinity to player and hoop. Without having a log-in to Synergy I can't see all the variables. I'm working a deal right now that will hopefully allow me to have my own log in by mid/late Feb. Until then, it's just pure guess-timation. I could try and scrape ESPN's or NBA.com's database- but that's a ton of work lol.

 

I always felt Stotts was looking for another Dirk to fit his system...at 23 Dirk was pretty weak in the paint and a horrible defender with a gift for shooting lights out almost anywhere on the court...later in his career Dirk started to try and work in the paint a bit more and rebound but that was not his gift...enter Meyers role in Stotts system...maybe not the quick study he hoped for but credit Stotts some..he's got Meyers in the paint more recently

 

Thanks Obam....err, I mean Stotts!
The only thing that makes sense to me is that team management is tanking Meyers' value in the hopes that he won't draw huge contract offers this summer, and will be able to sign him for a relative bargain. However, I don't think Olshey/Stotts are that evil. So the only other option is that Stotts is an idiot. It's been clear as day that Meyers is not a PF, yet Stotts has routinely put him in a position to fail throughout the season. During the Clipper game he had him guarding Pierce for a period of time!