Zhaire Smith

[tester551]

It's as simple as could be you just have your mind made up already

After reading through this argument.... This is the pot calling the kettle black.

[916fan]

You guys think he can play some 3, if not immediately, at least down the road? He's 6'5 with a 6'10 wingspan, and of course, super athletic, can play bigger than his size.

Don't think he can play the 3 unless he grows a few more inches.

[Ruzious]

Assuming he comes out, I think he's nearly a sure bet to go first round with a decent chance to go top 20. Real good all-around player for a freshman, and his defense stats really stand out - even if he wasn't a freshman.

[doordoor123]

Honestly he should be a late lottery pick. Probably will go right after the lottery, but he has really unique gifts that will surely translate at the next level and could make him excel in time. If LaVine was a lottery pick this guys is for sure worthy of a lottery selection.

[No-Man]

I am not huge on his defense and I think people are putting him in that box when he is just all over the place, he has tools but like DJ Stephens or McDaniels had, and were never really sound defenders.

What I do like it's his offensive upside, has some creation to his game, can pass, and I think the shooting might end up been good too, I think somebody compared him to Oladipo and I can see that in time.

I think he should come back probably though, with a season in which he proves to be worth of a higher usage, he can easily go top10, and this year I think he goes late 1st at best, a ton depends on workouts for him though.

[916fan]

I am not huge on his defense and I think people are putting him in that box when he is just all over the place, he has tools but like DJ Stephens or McDaniels had, and were never really sound defenders.

What I do like it's his offensive upside, has some creation to his game, can pass, and I think the shooting might end up been good too, I think somebody compared him to Oladipo and I can see that in time.

I think he should come back probably though, with a season in which he proves to be worth of a higher usage, he can easily go top10, and this year I think he goes late 1st at best, a ton depends on workouts for him though.

Unlike KJ McDaniels, he doesn't have low IQ. I think he's a fairly good defender, but he has lapses from time to time. That's just the result of his age and experience. Both Stephens and McDaniels were 4 and 3 year college players, meanwhile Smith is a true freshman *cough cough all the 19yearold freshmen*.

I think he should enter the draft. His stock is pretty high coming off March. I remember a lot of people(me too) thought Zach LaVine wasn't ready for the NBA and he should stay 1 more year. LaVine was just a raw athlete who would benefit another year improving on his skills. I had the same mindset for Zhaire earlier in the season, but when he flashes the potential he does, there's no reason to hold off until next year.

Smith has just as high of a ceiling as any wing in this draft. I wouldn't be surprised to see him being taken in the lotto.

[Stillwater]

The offensive tools are the sleeping giant here with this guy. Anyone saying they are not happy with what he has shown defensively is intentionally putting out false information.
He could easily turn out to be 1 of the top 5 players in this draft long-term.

[Geaux_Hawks]

He should definitely stay in this draft. Anybody that has patience will reap the benefits of him growing and developing. He has real star potential. The shot is there. Great athlete. Defensive potential. Just needs to develop as a playmaker. Tech won't give him that opportunity. He needs to learn that from NBA vets and coaching.

[Chuck Everett]

With him, he's poised to have a huge sophomore season and be a top 5 pick. I would go back. I think people here are blowing up where he would be selected. Apparently, there are 25 guys going mid-lottery.

[teamjosh04]

Literally everything? That's your answer to my question when I said be specific?

So you think 21-year-old rookie Zhaire Smith is going to be better than 21-year-old Zhaire Smith with already a year under his belt in the NBA?

Mkay buddy.

Do I need to list every aspect of basketball?

Anyway I think he should stay all 4 years in college so the difference is 19 year old rookie vs 22 year old rookie. Or better yet 22 year old rookie vs 22 year old last year of his rookie contract with a new HC or soon to be fired HC

But you think a 22-year-old rookie Zhaire Smith is better than 22-year-old Zhaire Smith who's going to be entering his 3rd year in the league?

Makes ZERO sense on any level.

If the kid isn't mature enough to handle the NBA at 19, it can make sense. Not everyone that young is mature enough to deal with the NBA lifestyle. There's elements beyond basketball. A lot of success comes down to circumstances; timing, fit, etc. The longer you stay in college, the better prepared you are for the pros. Some guys only truly get one shot to make it, so you don't want to come out if you aren't confident you're ready. College can breed confidence, improve intangibles, etc. Smith, for example, wasn't even thinking NBA a year ago.

So it only makes zero sense from a non-human, message board level view.

[ReKon]

I haven't seen him as much as I would like to but the best comp i can come up with is Gary Harris. Similar freshman stats and similar builds. Possibly not as good a three point shooter coming out of college as Harris but i feel like he could have a similar type of impact.

[vincecarter4pres]

Call me crazy, but I don't think I can name more than 2 or 3 guys in this draft I'd take over him.

[Ruzious]

Call me crazy, but I don't think I can name more than 2 or 3 guys in this draft I'd take over him.

You may be crazy, but he's a player who does things with his combo of athleticism and body control that other players physically cannot do. If I'm a GM, he's one of a few players in this draft that I'd target - you can likely get him later than he should go.

[vincecarter4pres]

Call me crazy, but I don't think I can name more than 2 or 3 guys in this draft I'd take over him.

You may be crazy, but he's a player who does things with his combo of athleticism and body control that other players physically cannot do. If I'm a GM, he's one of a few players in this draft that I'd target - you can likely get him later than he should go.

I feel like he has a super legitimate chance to be one of the 1-2 punch as this year's Gordon Hayward and Paul George. 2 guys who go in the latter half of the lotto and wind up the 3rd and 4th best players out of their draft with 2 superstars in front of them as the best and 2nd best of their class and are fringe franchise guys themselves.

I'd take Doncic and Ayton over him. Possibly J3, Porter and Bridges, but after that I don't see any names that I want over him. Then again, I'm not nearly the armchair scout I was year's back. I don't pay nearly enough attention to the games, the smaller schools, the sleepers, even the big names, just don't watch nearly as many games, research stats and interviews, etc., so I maybe whiffing on some other guys.

[EvanZ]

I feel like MKG was taken #2 for less valid reasons, so I'm fine with Zhaire going 5-10. Zhaire's shot is not broken, not a guarantee he becomes a great shooter, but it's sure as hell more likely than some guys I've seen recently.

[nolang1]

I feel like MKG was taken #2 for less valid reasons, so I'm fine with Zhaire going 5-10. Zhaire's shot is not broken, not a guarantee he becomes a great shooter, but it's sure as hell more likely than some guys I've seen recently.

MKG was bigger and younger. If the two players' college rebounding rates are similar, it's because MKG was competing for defensive rebounds with Anthony Davis and Terrence Jones (MKG has posted higher rebounding rates in the NBA than in college, which I'd assume is relatively rare). MKG is the kind of wing you can pair with a stretch 4 and still be an excellent rebounding team, and I wouldn't go that far with Smith.

Obviously MKG's three-point shot stayed busted (he's a surprisingly decent midrange shooter though), but there are plenty of players with better jumpers than his who still clog their team's spacing and aren't the kind of players you want shooting threes. In college he played with a lot of physicality on offense (9.3 free throw attempts/100 possesions compared to Smith's 7.1), and that's waned as he's accumulated injuries.

[No-Man]

I feel like MKG was taken #2 for less valid reasons, so I'm fine with Zhaire going 5-10. Zhaire's shot is not broken, not a guarantee he becomes a great shooter, but it's sure as hell more likely than some guys I've seen recently.

Zhaire is also not close to the defender MKG was though

I am fine with him at any point after the top8-9 guys, but I understand why teams would take more of a wait&see approach with him, he probably ends up coming back, I think for him there is very little risk and a lot to gain by doing so

[EvanZ]

I feel like MKG was taken #2 for less valid reasons, so I'm fine with Zhaire going 5-10. Zhaire's shot is not broken, not a guarantee he becomes a great shooter, but it's sure as hell more likely than some guys I've seen recently.

Zhaire is also not close to the defender MKG was though

I am fine with him at any point after the top8-9 guys, but I understand why teams would take more of a wait&see approach with him, he probably ends up coming back, I think for him there is very little risk and a lot to gain by doing so

Oh, there's a lot to risk. He could go from a lottery pick to 2nd round or undrafted if he does not improve his shooting or ball handling at all. Right now he's man of mystery and intrigue. That can quickly go away, especially with an unexpected injury!

I think if you're a first round pick at any time, and your goal is to be an NBA player, you have to come out. Seen way too many guys go back and made a mistake doing it.

[No-Man]

That's the thing, I doubt he is a lock to go in the 1st, we might think so cause we like his traits, but NBA teams value a ton of different stuff, he might get there with interviews and workouts so it's worth it

All I am saying is he has more to gain than others by coming back, even if he doesnt improve a ton, he is probably a 2nd round pick with the way the league is looking for guys of his profile, he might be only that right now too, so not a ton of risk unless he gets fatally hurt, which yeah, can happen, but if he can actually improve his game to the degree that some of us believe, in terms of creation, etc, he has a shot at going top5, which means a whole lot in terms of opportunity and how teams continue giving you chances, let alone the money.

[EvanZ]

I mean even ESPN's mock has him 16 and they're pretty tied into the NBA, that's usually why I don't like their boards actually. He's clearly a solid mid-first round pick right now, with chance to go lottery or higher with good workouts. If you're a mid-first round pick, you have to come out in my mind.