Travis Leslie career stats (1 seasons)
PPG |
APG |
SPG |
MPG |
PER |
1.4
|
0.5 |
0.2 |
4.5 |
14.6 |
Look, I see no reason to waste your time, or my time. We said we were going to write previews for all 15 players under contract, and by FSM we will. But there's nothing I can say about Leslie now that I didn't say when I wrote his Exit Interview back in May.
At that point we were looking forward to seeing what he might be able to do in Summer League. After all, he missed Summer League of his rookie season because of the NBA Lockout. Well guess what? He missed Summer League this summer because of a calf injury. So far this preseason, he has yet to appear in three Clippers games. So since his Exit Interview, the sum total of additional basketball I can use to evaluate him is 10 minutes in the intrasquad scrimmage.
And he scored about 9 points in those 10 minutes, if I recall correctly. So there's that. But it's not a lot to go on.
According to most sources, Leslie's contract became fully guaranteed on August 1, so since he's still with the team, it seems his contract is now fully guaranteed. However, in speaking with contract savvy individuals, it seems those guarantee dates are frequently changed with the changes going unreported, so there is a chance that Leslie is not yet fully guaranteed. Regardless, with the roster at the NBA maximum 15, Leslie would be the guy to go if the Clippers get a rash of injuries and need to sign someone to play a particular spot, or have a chance to pick up someone off waivers, or make an uneven trade at the deadline. Bottom line is, it's pretty clear that Vinny Del Negro has little confidence in him, so one wonders why Leslie is still around. After all, he played fewer minutes than any uninjured player who spent the whole season on a single NBA roster.
Who knows, maybe he'll end up surprising us. He's an uber-athlete with a ridiculous wing span and ideal size for the NBA two guard. Maybe he'll find his NBA niche as a wing defender. Maybe Grant Hill can teach him the ropes out there.
But for now, go reread his Exit Interview, because there's just nothing new to say about the guy.