https://94feetreport.com/the-2018-nba-draft-guide-da855d2d3f77
STRENGTHS
Unreal athlete who can get way off the ground in an instant. Frequently comes up with putback dunks and chase-down blocks.
Motor is always running. Crashes the offensive glass like crazy and runs the floor hard in transition.
Surprisingly high feel for the game. Reads the floor quickly and doesn’t commit boneheaded turnovers.
Extremely active screener on offense. Constantly looking for ways to get his teammates open. Has promise as a playmaker off the short roll if teams use him as a roll man.
Will need to expand his handle but is comfortable with the ball in his hands. Very promising as a passer. Can potentially expand to secondary handler.
Late-bloomer who is very young and developed throughout season for Texas Tech. Not 19 until June. Role expanded as the year went on.
Aggressive defender with quick feet and plus length. Can body his man because he is quick enough to stick with him wherever he tries to go.
Incredible defensive versatility. Has defended every sort of player for Texas Tech this season, from Jevon Carter to Mohamed Bamba.
Tough player who battles through screens, fights on switches, attacks contact, and closes out hard.
Promising mechanics on jumper with compact release and up-and-down form. Doesn’t rely on forward momentum.
Flashes of off-dribble shooting in mid-range. Much more comfortable shooting from 17 feet out to three-point line.
Plus first step off the dribble. Attacks horizontally very quickly.
WEAKNESSES
Serious questions surrounding shooting projection. Extremely low three-point attempt rate and shooting around 70% from the free throw line.
Just average size for defending the wing in the NBA. 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, listed at 195 pounds. Will need to get stronger.
Still has mental lapses off the ball on defense. Positioning can still get better.
Needs to do a better job of knowing his scouting report. Sticks too hard to non-shooters when he should be helping down.
Slow release on jump shot with some bad misses. Doesn’t project to shoot consistently from NBA range any time soon.
Handle is still fairly rigid without advanced moves off the bounce. Can attack closeouts in straight lines but doesn’t do much to create space for himself.
Little self-creation ability at this stage. Very low efficiency on isolation possessions. How will he add consistent offensive value?
Pretty much a complete unknown coming into the year (#223 in RSCI). Was this season just a flash in the pan?
Will his value diminish in the NBA where there’s less of a difference between his athleticism and that of other players?
BOTTOM LINE
Zhaire Smith came out of nowhere to establish himself as a legitimate NBA prospect over the course of this season thanks to his outlier athleticism and surprising feel for the game. By some advanced metrics, he was one of the 20 or 30 most valuable players in the NCAA, with his tenacious defense and ability to do the little things on offense a key part of Texas Tech’s surprisingly successful season. He faces real questions about his ability to add value on offense without a reliable jump shot or particularly advanced handle, but Smith brings a high floor with his athleticism, feel, and defensive versatility. If his offensive game develops faster than expected, he could emerge as one of the steals of the draft.
https://www.thestepien.com/zhaire-smith/
4. Zhaire Smith
Zhaire Smith came out of nowhere as a 3* recruit to have a monster freshman season and lead Texas Tech to their first elite 8 ever. The most shocking part of him flying under the radar is that he is a nuclear athlete, which rarely gets overlooked. But Zhaire was young for his class and raw offensively, and went unnoticed until late in his high school career.
He was still raw offensively for Texas Tech, playing a low usage role where he rarely attacked off the dribble and attempted a low volume of 3’s. But he was highly efficient in this role, as he posted an excellent eFG% and assist:TOV with 72% FT to give hope for his long term shooting ability. He statistically profiles as similar to Jae Crowder.
In terms of recruiting rank and physical profile, he is similar to Russell Westbrook. Westbrook also slid through the cracks as a 3* recruit due to being young and raw, and Zhaire is arguably the most explosive athlete in the draft since Russ. Westbrook carried a higher NCAA usage, but even after his sophomore year DraftExpress believed he had a poor handle.
It’s not clear how Zhaire’s handle compares to Russ at the same age, but there is no evidence it is drastically worse. What is clear is that Zhaire is more selective about the occasions on which he attacks and is much less mistake prone offensively. So he will likely not stretch his usage to a monster rate a la Westbrook, but there is plenty of potential for him to stretch his usage while also having the instincts to play efficiently.
It’s hard to envision exactly what Zhaire’s NBA role will look like. He could remain a Crowder-ish role player, or his athleticism could enable him to develop into a star scorer in spite of his current limits as a ball handler. But it’s so rare for a player with his combination of youth, efficient production, and athleticism to be anything other than a #1 pick, it’s not worth sweating this point. Once the tanking prizes are all off the board, I believe it is correct to take Zhaire and see
https://deanondraft.com/category/big-boards/
SHADES OF: Shorter Andre Roberson, Danny Green, Norman Powell
PLUSES
It looks like he’s flying when he jumps.
Versatile defender with the speed to contain guards and the strength and length to handle bigger players.
Excellent reaction time moving laterally, swiping the ball away in man-to-man situations, or when helping off the weak side.
Active, effective rebounder.
Tends to make the right play as a passer, though he’s no point guard.
Good finisher in the paint off straight-line drives, cuts, lobs, and putbacks.
Willing screener; Texas Tech even used him as an on-ball dive man.
MINUSES
Too undersized to be a four-position defender; he’ll need to pack on a lot of muscle.
Reluctant shooter with funky mechanics. He’ll need to prove he can hit NBA 3s.
Odd tendency to stop the ball and sit in a three-point stance when he should just keep it moving or attack.
Lacks ball-handling and shot-creation skills.
https://nbadraft.theringer.com/
PTS
11.2
15.8 per 40
REB
4.9
6.9 per 40
AST
1.7
2.4 per 40
EFG%
58.5
277 FGA
STL
1.2
1.6 per 40
BLK
1.0
1.4 per 40
3PT%
45.0
40 3PA
FT%
71.7
127
