Hey guys, I just watched some film on 2016 5-star power forward T.J. Leaf (6'10", 215 lb.) out of Foothills Christian in El Cajon, CA. What I did was watch some mix tapes and also watch a full game of his as well. Here are the notes I took as they appear in my notebook:
Mix tape: Nice stroke. Gets up easily. Runs the floor well in transition. Ability to catch lobs and throw it down. Finishes strong. Uses two hands. Nice touch around the basket. Can run a fast break and take it coast-to-coast. Finishes well in traffic. Can change hands. Sees the floor well. Can hit cutters. Good use of triple-threat. Variety of moves. Active around the glass. NBA potential from an athletic and skills perspective. Good outsider shooter. Has good mechanics. Uses glass well.
Full game: Knocks down a three. Active inside. Contests shot. Sees the floor and hits the open man. Long. Good body/length. Boxes out his man. Good outlet passes. Average quickness (If I can be honest, it's hard to tell how quick he is. He might be quicker than he looks), but he has good handle and moves. Is shifty. Gets a lot of assists for a big man (I think in the game I watched he had 5 or 6 assists). Recovers his dribble well. Good handle for his size. No fear attacking the rim.
Solid interior defender. Not amazing, but solid. 2.7 blocks per game and 14.2 rebounds per game. Bit of a loose handle at times, but recovers well. Good fundamentals on D. Doesn't get beat. Uses triple threat well. Boxes out well. Good fundamentals. Pick & Roll/ Pick & Pop. Takes opponents off the dribble and attacks the hole. Confident shooter. Unselfish. Rebounds his own shot for the put back. Good IQ. Knows when to attack. Good foul shooter. Good in the Pick & Roll and Pick & Pop. Sets good screens.
Conclusion: T. J. Leaf is the real deal. He reminds me of Frank Kaminsky but with more athleticism. He is a very polished player that can score from anywhere on the floor and score in a variety of ways. He takes guys off the dribble, spots up for three, throws it down for the dunk in transition, etc. In addition to his scoring abilities, he does a lot of other things really well. He sees the floor well, gets teammates involved, and he is a very solid defender inside. After watching him play, I'm not at all surprised that he is a five-star recruit. He would be a great fit at Cal. Especially if Ivan Rabb leaves for the NBA after his freshman season.
Mix tape: Nice stroke. Gets up easily. Runs the floor well in transition. Ability to catch lobs and throw it down. Finishes strong. Uses two hands. Nice touch around the basket. Can run a fast break and take it coast-to-coast. Finishes well in traffic. Can change hands. Sees the floor well. Can hit cutters. Good use of triple-threat. Variety of moves. Active around the glass. NBA potential from an athletic and skills perspective. Good outsider shooter. Has good mechanics. Uses glass well.
Full game: Knocks down a three. Active inside. Contests shot. Sees the floor and hits the open man. Long. Good body/length. Boxes out his man. Good outlet passes. Average quickness (If I can be honest, it's hard to tell how quick he is. He might be quicker than he looks), but he has good handle and moves. Is shifty. Gets a lot of assists for a big man (I think in the game I watched he had 5 or 6 assists). Recovers his dribble well. Good handle for his size. No fear attacking the rim.
Solid interior defender. Not amazing, but solid. 2.7 blocks per game and 14.2 rebounds per game. Bit of a loose handle at times, but recovers well. Good fundamentals on D. Doesn't get beat. Uses triple threat well. Boxes out well. Good fundamentals. Pick & Roll/ Pick & Pop. Takes opponents off the dribble and attacks the hole. Confident shooter. Unselfish. Rebounds his own shot for the put back. Good IQ. Knows when to attack. Good foul shooter. Good in the Pick & Roll and Pick & Pop. Sets good screens.
Conclusion: T. J. Leaf is the real deal. He reminds me of Frank Kaminsky but with more athleticism. He is a very polished player that can score from anywhere on the floor and score in a variety of ways. He takes guys off the dribble, spots up for three, throws it down for the dunk in transition, etc. In addition to his scoring abilities, he does a lot of other things really well. He sees the floor well, gets teammates involved, and he is a very solid defender inside. After watching him play, I'm not at all surprised that he is a five-star recruit. He would be a great fit at Cal. Especially if Ivan Rabb leaves for the NBA after his freshman season.
