Player Profile:
“Lessort’s offensive game doesn’t yield much outside of the paint, but he excels as a rim-runner in multiple different facets. He’s a reliable pick-and-roll finisher, and shows tremendous hustle in the open court when operating in transition.
He’s a workhorse around the basket, and that alone is something that will have NBA teams looking his way. Lessort’s mobile enough to fit the mold of today’s evolving game, while having the raw energy needed to make consistent contributions on the boards and on the defensive end.
A hard-nosed, two-way athlete is always a nice find in the later stages of the first round. Lessort fits that bill.” — 2017 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0.
Outside Opinion:
“From a physical standpoint, there’s a lot to like about Lessort’s profile. He has decent size at around 6’9, boasts a NBA ready frame (listed at 246 pounds), and possesses a solid 7’1 wingspan that allows him to play slightly bigger than his height. He’s also a very good athlete, light on his feet, capable of sprinting the court with impressive speed, and being extremely nimble and agile with his movement, enabling him to cover ground on both ends of the floor exceptionally well. Lessort is also pretty explosive off two feet, being responsible for some highlight reel caliber finishes this season off pick and roll bounce passes or lobs, often through contact.
Lessort is scoring at a pretty nice rate this season, averaging almost 18 points per-40, and has been very efficient doing so, converting 63.5% of his 2-point attempts. He gets most of his touches via the offensive glass, running the floor in transition, and finishing off pick and rolls and cuts. A very physical player, he draws quite a few fouls, but has only converted 56% of his free throw attempts.” — Jonathan Givony in DraftExpress’ Mathias Lessort Mid-Season Scouting Report.
Team Fit:
The story line doesn’t change much with San Antonio. They’ll probably draft Lessort, give him a year or two overseas, and have him come over to immediate success as an integral role player on a championship caliber team. Rinse. Repeat.
Jokes aside, though, Lessort makes a lot of sense for Gregg Popovich’s squad moving forward. He’s an excellent athlete at the four spot, making impressive defensive plays and possessing explosive finishing ability in the pick-and-roll. His game is somewhat limited to rim-running at the moment, but he does that at an extremely high level — something that will always have functionality in the Spurs’ reserve core.
San Antonio’s frontcourt is aging, with both LaMarcus Aldridge and — especially — Pau Gasol beginning to reach their declines. They already have Nikola Mulintinov looming in the forefront of their foreign stockpile, and would be wise to add someone of Lessort’s caliber to that pool of talent.