Jalen Smith

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Maryland's PF is starting to put up some really good rebounding and scoring numbers to go along with pretty stellar defense.

Where will he go in this draft (assuming he comes out)?
What kind of player will he be in the NBA?

[realEAST]

I've been in on him for a while too, think he could be solid starter, 4th or 5th guy - motor, rebounding, good and mobile defender, has to improve as roll man, but has athletic potential, has shown potential to stretch a floor as spot up shooter.

I think he'd be best along stretch, rim protecting bigs who aren't typical bruisers - I think he could go in 15-25 range, and there are few teams there that could use a guy like Smith, foremost Bucks (long term along Giannis) or Mavericks (along Porzingis) - where on defense he can play in the paint as he adds some weight in time, and can act as screen setter and roll man or spot up shooter on offense.

If I were going for a comparison I'd say something between Kleber and prime Ibaka (floor-ceiling)

[BlazersBroncos]

I really like him, and in this weak draft see him as a 10-15 pick. I would love Portland to draft him as he can play PF and C, space the floor w/o any rebounding tradeoff, has plus athleticism and defense. Just seems like a really solid role player.

Kleber, Ibaka are good comparisons. A 3PT range PJ Brown is another IMO. A solid, unspectacular guy who every winning team would like to have.

[No-Man]

I really don't see him with him, he has some nice shooting ability and is tall, long with some athleticism so he is obviously solid as a bet to be a rotation big but I don't think he can be good enough at either big spot to warrant a real high-end asset investment

early 2nd feels about right

[Roddy B for 3]

I love this guy. The ONLY problem I see with him is defensively he seems more built to be a "classic PF". As in I don't see a guy who will hold up well after multiple switches.

His offensive game has everything except a dominate faceup game and great passing tools.
But he's got the three ball and post scoring skills.

He's projects as a really good paint defender, imo,but is to short and not quite elite enough rebounder the ball to be primarily a C imo.

He'd be great off the bench, but as a starter he will need a good coach in order to have an excellent team defense.

Offensively I could see Z-Bo with a three point shot and defensively I can see a shorter Marc Gasol as his upside.

He'll definitely be a top 10 pick for me. I am pretty confident having him as my #1 PF too (the top three PF's all look like NBA starters to me).

[RiotPunch]

Not the direction I'd prefer, but I would be just fine with the Bucks adding him as Brook's successor. Rim protection + floor spacing, perfect Bud Ball candidate.

I would be surprised if he falls out of the 1st round, but it's possible.

[clyde21]

Not the direction I'd prefer, but I would be just fine with the Bucks adding him as Brook's successor. Rim protection + floor spacing, perfect Bud Ball candidate.

I would be surprised if he falls out of the 1st round, but it's possible.

that's probably one of his better fits, though i'm with Fisch on this one, early second is a good spot for him, right where Bruno went.

[Ruzious]

He's not a game-changer, but in this draft - I'd bet the mortgage he'll go in the first round - saying that after he had probably his worst game of the season. The versatility to play either PF or C and his range to hit the 3 give him value that most other bigs in this class don't have.

[No-Man]

My problem is that he can't really play either and hang in there with the best of the best

He is a bench or a combination big, he could be solid at that, but I don't see the upside really

[clyde21]

Claxton went 2nd last year and Claxton is a just a better prospect than Smith flat out

[Duke4life831]

He is the typical big you see go late late 1st or early 2nd round in most drafts lately. Last year we saw Claxton, Bruno and Gafford. The year before that we saw Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson.

I think he goes in that 25-40 range in this draft. Whoever drafts him I would just show him tape of Daniel Theis and say, "if you want to maximize yourself on this level play like this." Jalen is a little bigger and a little more athletic, but I think they will have similar games on the NBA level if Smith plays the game the right way. Theis is a 13/10/2 with 2 blocks guy (per 36) with a 62 TS%.

With that said, Id take a guy like Smith in today's NBA before I take a Vernon Carey.

[No-Man]

Claxton went 2nd last year and Claxton is a just a better prospect than Smith flat out

Oh, no doubt yeah

I had Claxton top20 though

[CP War Hawks]

Kinda reminds me of a lesser version of Myles Turner or a 6-10 Dedmon. His measurables should give looks in the later 1st.

[EvanZ]

Kinda reminds me of a lesser version of Myles Turner or a 6-10 Dedmon. His measurables should give looks in the later 1st.

Yeah that's kind of how I see him.

[Ruzious]

He's not a game-changer, but in this draft - I'd bet the mortgage he'll go in the first round - saying that after he had probably his worst game of the season. The versatility to play either PF or C and his range to hit the 3 give him value that most other bigs in this class don't have.

To clarify, in a good draft, there'd be a possibility he'd go 2nd round, but this looks like an AWFUL draft for players of his type, so I can't see him slipping to the 2nd round.

[Stillwater]

Seems to have developed a pretty reliable inside outside game , but those toothpicks for legs are not going to hold up against grown men. I could see him going late first easily though in this one if they think he can play a stretch 4 role immediately as opposed to stretch 5 otherwise he would have to have a couple more years of development under a NBA regimen workout schedule.

[Stillwater]

Claxton went 2nd last year and Claxton is a just a better prospect than Smith flat out

Oh, no doubt yeah

I had Claxton top20 though

last year had a lot more interesting prospects top to bottom, and the fact Claxton fell to the 2nd had more to do with his late rise to first round consideration in the first place , I mean he was a 2nd rounder on most boards until the combine.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

Not the direction I'd prefer, but I would be just fine with the Bucks adding him as Brook's successor. Rim protection + floor spacing, perfect Bud Ball candidate.

I would be surprised if he falls out of the 1st round, but it's possible.

Nah. He's moving up, and I think might even go 15 or so, if not a little higher.

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

He is the typical big you see go late late 1st or early 2nd round in most drafts lately. Last year we saw Claxton, Bruno and Gafford. The year before that we saw Robert Williams and Mitchell Robinson.

I think he goes in that 25-40 range in this draft. Whoever drafts him I would just show him tape of Daniel Theis and say, "if you want to maximize yourself on this level play like this." Jalen is a little bigger and a little more athletic, but I think they will have similar games on the NBA level if Smith plays the game the right way. Theis is a 13/10/2 with 2 blocks guy (per 36) with a 62 TS%.

With that said, Id take a guy like Smith in today's NBA before I take a Vernon Carey.

I'm not so sure about that, but Carey won't be a floor spacer like Smith will.

[atlantabbq99]

With his recent play, I have Jalen as #1 on my draft board, his body, frame, length, athleticism, skill, defense, Jalen looks like a poor man's Anthony Davis.

1a. Jalen Smith
1b. Anthony Edwards
2. James Wiseman