Duke Fan
Years ago

Leslie released effective immediately

Just announced by The Kings

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Spot Up
Years ago

Jerome Randle..?

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Spot Up
Years ago

Ah yes, I see the other thread now!

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Anonymous
Years ago

I hope they pay him out! And do the same to Garlepp so he remove himself from the pure disrespect Gaze has shown him!
Disgraceful Act by one who is considered nice guy!!!!

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Anonymous
Years ago

Poor recruiting at the start of the year and this guy is the sacrificial lamb.
He can play basketball but like most Gaze didn't utilize his assets and abilities.

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Zodiac
Years ago

The baffling thing was that Gaze spent the NBA SL with Indiana where Leslie was so obviously got a good look at him up close but still ended up not seeming to use him right.

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paul
Years ago

Leslie was playing very well up until last weekend, one of the few Kings who genuinely played both ends.

Before last round he hadn't scored below double figures, had shot below 50% in just one game (and that was 4/9), was shooting 50% from outside, had less than four boards in just one game (and that was 3) and was the NBL's 5th best offensive rebounder.

Not surprisingly, he had the best +/- differential after Lisch. If you wanted a picture of consistency and team first at the Kings he was it. Just unlucky.

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SteveK2
Years ago

Possibly ankle tendinitis or bursitis. Can't recall if the initial injury occurred during a game or practice but it certainly had a noticeable impact. His athleticism is a big part of his game and without it, he was sadly ineffective.

He masked it well, but the way he shuffled his feet (no pun intended) late in games and settling for a lot of jumpers gave it away IMHO. With the heavy losses and baying of blood, they couldn't afford to have him at less than 100%.

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Zodiac
Years ago

That explains his ineffectiveness I suppose but his body language never looked great either.

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Wookiee
Years ago

Yeah, his body language was never that great but took a huge nosedive, most likely injury related and maybe a bit of seeing the writing on the wall...

As has been said above, not a bad player and under other circumstances would be very good numbers wise, but just wasn't the right fit from the start and unfortunately needed to be the one that was cut...

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proud
Years ago

Did he play less games than the import from last season, what was his name Michael Bryson?

I hope history doesn't put him in that same basket.

Really sad when you consider their import guard (dreadlocked Celtic 2nd rounder) got a full season and way more minutes than he deserved and Travis only plays a month.

Good luck to him and i hope we see him again in the NBL as he is a quality player

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Anonymous
Years ago

Marcus Thornton. Best game he played was a preseason game where he had 7 threes against Perth and it became a highlights package on YouTube that Celtic fans were wetting themselves over. Proved to be an enormous mirage. Nowhere near NBA standard and has just been floating around the G-League and Summer League. Wasn't really an NBL-standard import either but the difference was at that time the then Kings ownership group wasn't interested in sacking imports and paying them out, even when they clearly weren't up to it.

Leslie had game, of that there is no doubt - he was just a horrible fit for the group they put together and when he hurt the ankle that was the beginning of the end. But not his fault that he got sacked and I doubt people would compare him to Michael Bryson, who wasn't close to being up to it as an import at this level.

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SteveK2
Years ago

Leslie just signed with Levallois Metropolitans in France. Top agent he's got, hardly a pause in getting another gig.

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AngusH
Years ago

Thornton/Perry/Bryson were all guys who needed to have the ball in their hands coming off picks looking to penetrate to be successful, and the Kings were instead using them off the ball as spot up shooters, which was not their game at all. Not saying any 3 of them were good signings, but at the same time reflective of the kind of front office decisions that linger on today.

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Dome Rat
Years ago

Not sure Randle changes anything then AngusH

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WookieE
Years ago

@Steve - to be fair, his agent has probably been working hard the last couple of weeks to find him an alternate gig with the writing on the wall...

Glad to hear he's gotten another gig so quickly, he seemed like a good dude, just shouldn't have been signed, which isn't on him...

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AngusH
Years ago

@ DR - presumably even with Lisch back Randle is going to be the primary ballhandler, and that in itself is an improvement as far as utilizing a guy's talents go.

But hey, this is the Kings we are talking about, so we'll see.

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Leslie released effective immediately

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