C.J.

Leslie

Leslie has more than enough athleticism at 6'9/209. He led all prospects at the Combine in the lane agility drill and posted a top-10 3/4 court sprint among power forwards. The question is if he can really play power forward at the NBA level. Leslie needs to shed a tweener label if he wants to come off the board before the Suns make their second first-round pick.

He was one of the most impressive athletes at the combine, so he didn’t have much to gain in additional workouts. Leslie ranked first among all participants with a 12'1" max-vert reach and second in the sprint behind guard Shane Larkin. The NC State product is obviously a little raw, but his athleticism at 6'9" could whet the appetite of some teams before the second round.

Leslie was playing for Hapoel Eilat, but that has come to an end. After being cut from the Knicks preseason roster in 2013, Leslie hasn’t sniffed the NBA.

C.J. Leslie looked to be ahead of Murry, but Leslie didn’t get off the bench on Thursday, so his Knicks run is likely coming to an end. Murry looked great in the fourth quarter on Thursday, finishing with 14 points, two boards, two steals and one 3-pointer on 5-of-7 shooting. He’s a bigger guard at 6'5", but is nothing more than emergency depth for New York.

“He is a project,” Knicks coach Mike Woodson said Friday after practice. “No doubt about that.” The undrafted forward from N.C. State was signed in July to a two-year deal and the Knicks were initially excited to have the prospect they had considered taking in the first round of the draft. That excitement has been tempered by Leslie’s training camp performance.

Jeremy Tyler’s foot injury might have cost him here and he still hasn’t been cleared to play. He’ll likely pop up on a 10-day at some point this year. Toure Murry played well this month helped them earn roster spots.

Leslie “shut it down” after receiving a promise to be taken in the second round, and his slide on draft night was one of the more surprising storylines on a night filled with them. Leslie is a solid pickup for the Knicks as the team looks to replenish their bench and get younger.

The Knicks are reportedly high on Leslie and may have taken him in the first round had Tim Hardaway, Jr. not been there. Leslie is one of the most athletic rookies that will be in Las Vegas Summer League and the team will be monitoring his motor during the 11-day event.