sketch 37/100

And with this character created by  balto, the 24 FBA 1st round draft prospects/picks of the 2010 FBA Draft are DONE! ^^

Here we have Leo Seppala, a WolfDog who was on the same team as another first round selection, Ana Azara (Snow Leopard, G). Together, they formed a very formidable and sharp-shooting backcourt, one of the best in the college game. Even though at 6'7", Leo is a ghastly 165lbs, he is still a very capable defender to go along with his sharp-shooting prowess from range.

While Leo almost got a fate similar to Ana's in being selected to a team in a region much warmer than Alaska, the Santa Fe Whips (Leo's original team) must have felt bad or wanted to go in a different direction, because they swung a 3 team trade on draft night sending Seppala back to his home state of Alaska, where he'd surely feel more comfortable playing with the Arctics. Unfortunately for him, he apparently shaved his fur off before the news was announced in preparation for the warmer climate. But he doesn't look too bad with a buzzcut believe it or not. ^^

The trade also send Ione Estrada (Chameleon, G/F) to the Sand Dollars from the Arctics, where she faced a similar predicament of being out of place climate-wise. Joshua Koda (White Tiger, C) and Adolfa Girau-Girau (Otorongo, G/F) were sent from the Sand Dollars to the Whips and Arctics respectively.

Also, apologies to  balto for drawing him with a husky tail, as while I was coloring him, I had it in my mind he was a husky, judging from the markings I've seen of him and all. But I did look at the pics you drew of him beforehand, and hopefully they don't look too far off. ;)

Now I get to finally do something with all these prospect pictures! Muahahaha! But it's a secret. ;) Hopefully it will be cool. ^^

_______________________________________________________________________________



Info:

Name: Leo Seppala
Nickname: The Arctic Storm
Position: Guard
Species: WolfDog
Gender: Male
Height: 6'7"
Weight: 165 lbs
Birthplace: Nome, AK



Stats:

PPG: 16.9
RPG: 4.7
APG: 3.4
SPG: 2.3
BPG: 1.8
TO: 2.2

FG%: 49%
FT%: 91%
3PT%: 44%



Player Report:

Projected: TOP 24

A distant relative with direct heritage to Togo, the world famous Alaskan sled dog, Leo is another quality product from the American Tundra, and he makes up the other half of the sharp-shooting duo from the University of Anchorage, along with Ana Azara. Like Ana, he has a jumper that is smooth as silk, and he loves to shoot the longball, sometimes even from as far as 10 feet behind the three point stripe! That might tick off a few coaches in the league, but the only reason he shoots from that far is that he can make it, and he does so often.

So what is it that separates Leo Seppala from Ana Azara in playing style? Well, while Ana can shoot spot up or off the dribble, Leo greatly prefers shooting spot up, being set up and waiting for a pass to be delivered to his waiting paws. The more he dribbles before he shoots, the less likely it is to go in. Fortunately, Leo knows this, and he always make sure he is set before he shoots, resulting in a 44% success rate from downtown, good for 6th overall in the draft class. He also tends to shoot a bit further out than Ana, using the opponent's looser defense further from the basket to his advantage. If they don't man up on him at 30 feet, he might just fire away until they close out on him.

Other than Leo's shooting percentages, which are outstanding, the main thing that separates Leo from Ana is he is a better perimeter defender, and a runner and leaper. He may be skinny as a toothpick and unable to outmuscle stronger, stockier guards, but he is very long and keeps in front of the player with the ball. His coordination and reflexes are astounding, and he uses them to knock plenty of passes away and intercept others to the tune of 2.3 steals per game. Not only that, but the WolfDog has some hops too, storming over to block players on the weak side, as well as chase them down from behind on fast breaks for the always exciting "Chasedown" block.

Leo is a very confident player, and like other good shooters, he keeps shooting until he makes it. He doesn't get as hot as Ana, but he is more consistent. As far as inside shooting, he is good at midrange, but it's very rare to see him take it strong to the rack because he tends to shy away from physical contact inside. He does move very well without the ball though, rolling around picks and screens to find plenty of open spots to get the pass and shoot from.

Leo is a hard working player, and he takes great pride in his shot, so you know that will always be dependable. But he would benefit greatly by adding some much needed muscle to his frame, which can only boost his confidence.


_______________________________________________________________________________


Read the whole 2010 FBA Draft Report here --> http://www.fletcherapts.com/fba-roo.....port-2010.html


Leo Seppala character ©  balto
Art ©  jtigerclaw

FBA ©  buckhopper