Zhaire Smith

[SeattleJazzFan]

the problem with highlight videos, especially with a guy like Zhaire, is that they are going to show highlights. I watched TT just the other day (ESPNU showing a bunch of the top college games) and he made skilled plays - the types of plays that wouldn't be included on a highlight video (but probably should be). one example was him taking a guy off the bounce, being cut off by help defense and hitting a pull up 15 footer from the elbow. another was a drive and pretty sweet dish to guy for a dunk. certainly not spectacular, but skill plays.

[Rafael122]

Sounds like Smith might be an option for the Wiz at 15. One local beat writer says he might be the pick. Only way I see the Wizards swapping picks with the Lakers is if they take on a bad contract but LA isn't going to want to mess with their cap space.

[GimmeDat]

Sounds like Smith might be an option for the Wiz at 15. One local beat writer says he might be the pick. Only way I see the Wizards swapping picks with the Lakers is if they take on a bad contract but LA isn't going to want to mess with their cap space.

Would they take him over a guy like Robert Williams? Seems like they've been pining for an athletic big for a while now.

[doordoor123]

Zhaire Smith could literally go anywhere, but I don’t think the Hornets take him because they have both Bacon and Monk. I don’t think the Clippers take him because they don’t seem as high on him as other teams. I think Nuggets are a possibility, Wizards, Suns, Bucks, Spurs, and pretty much every team after that. So I think his range starts with 14. His floor is Lakers at 25, but I suspect he won’t fall that far. I actually can see a team trading up for him if he falls past 14.

[PLO]

Zhaire Smith could literally go anywhere, but I don’t think the Hornets take him because they have both Bacon and Monk. I don’t think the Clippers take him because they don’t seem as high on him as other teams. I think Nuggets are a possibility, Wizards, Suns, Bucks, Spurs, and pretty much every team after that. So I think his range starts with 14. His floor is Lakers at 25, but I suspect he won’t fall that far. I actually can see a team trading up for him if he falls past 14.

I agree with this but for a guy under 6'3" and without a position that does seem kind of high.

[rzzzzz]

his last workout, with the Suns, the only knock on him i read was that his outside shot was still a work in progress and slow. mind you, most of them went in, and he's improved it since the tourney. otherwise, his defense is sterling, he's got scary hops, and he has a nose for being in the right place at the right time. someone should swing for the fences with this kid.

[Leslie Forman]

Just watch any Zhaire Smith highlight reel. There is close to ZERO skill displayed in any of those. Almost everything is pure, unvarnished athleticism.

Watch on YouTube

^there is only one play that I can categorize as a skill play in this whole video. He's such a weird prospect.... I am having real hard time judging Smith and putting him into a mold that succeeds in the league. He needs to shoot it well for him to have a chance, otherwise he's closer to KJ McDaniels than to Mitchell as some people have been comparing him to.

Like Seattlejazzfan said, a lot of what makes him look like a good player is not actually in highlight videos which will just focus on flashy plays.

Watch on YouTube

He's a great passer and has incredible motor and instincts. He's not just a jumper, he also has fantastic strength and composure when finishing around the rim, like the anti-Lonzo in that regard. His jumper shows potential. Is he raw as hell? Yeah. But he just turned 19. How much rawer is he than most of today's best wings were at his age? Jimmy Butler was playing for a freakin JUCO team back then.

Watching him actually reminds me in a way of watching Blake Griffin when he was a freshman. Completely different players obviously. But the flashes of skill with the incredible physical talent and motor just screams draft steal IMO.

[stitches]

He's a great passer and has incredible motor and instincts. He's not just a jumper, he also has fantastic strength and composure when finishing around the rim, like the anti-Lonzo in that regard. His jumper shows potential. Is he raw as hell? Yeah. But he just turned 19. How much rawer is he than most of today's best wings were at his age? Jimmy Butler was playing for a freakin JUCO team back then.

Watching him actually reminds me in a way of watching Blake Griffin when he was a freshman. Completely different players obviously. But the flashes of skill with the incredible physical talent and motor just screams draft steal IMO.

I am sorry I just don't see it. His skill is non-existant. It's not just the highlights, I've watched full games of his. There is nothing skill-based in his game. He cannot dribble, he cannot split a double team, he cannot create separation with a dribble, his finishes are almost entirely athleticism-based... The pass he made in that video was to a wide open man. If he doesn't make that pass it would be a big negative, but I don't think it shows some amazing passing ability.

What I would say is that he plays within himself. He doesn't do stupid **** on the court that are outside of his abilities, which is more than you can say about some of the athletic freaks that enter the league and think that because they can jump they should play with the ball in their hands all the time. I wouldn't mind him in the 20s(for example if the Jazz drafted him) as a developmental project... but watching people put him in their top 10 or top 5 is weird to me.

[Leslie Forman]

What I would say is that he plays within himself. He doesn't do stupid **** on the court that are outside of his abilities, which is more than you can say about some of the athletic freaks that enter the league and think that because they can jump they should play with the ball in their hands all the time. I wouldn't mind him in the 20s(for example if the Jazz drafted him) as a developmental project... but watching people put him in their top 10 or top 5 is weird to me.

That's fine. But that's also why you would have missed out on a Kawhi Leonard and ended up with some at-the-time-more-skilled but low ceiling mediocre guy. At some point you have to take a risk. Raw talents are basically just predictions from the gut based on small resumes. Those are the ones that are gonna be the most polarizing so I can't blame you.

I mean, I look at Bamba and think people are on goddamn drugs with their evaluation of him.

[stitches]

What I would say is that he plays within himself. He doesn't do stupid **** on the court that are outside of his abilities, which is more than you can say about some of the athletic freaks that enter the league and think that because they can jump they should play with the ball in their hands all the time. I wouldn't mind him in the 20s(for example if the Jazz drafted him) as a developmental project... but watching people put him in their top 10 or top 5 is weird to me.

That's fine. But that's also why you would have missed out on a Kawhi Leonard and ended up with some at-the-time-more-skilled but low ceiling mediocre guy. At some point you have to take a risk. Raw talents are basically just predictions from the gut based on small resumes. Those are the ones that are gonna be the most polarizing so I can't blame you.

I mean, I look at Bamba and think people are on goddamn drugs with their evaluation of him.

You cannot take outliers and project a draft prospect to develop like that. For every Kawhi taken in the teens that developed into a star there are 10 that amounted to very little if not nothing.

[Leslie Forman]

What I would say is that he plays within himself. He doesn't do stupid **** on the court that are outside of his abilities, which is more than you can say about some of the athletic freaks that enter the league and think that because they can jump they should play with the ball in their hands all the time. I wouldn't mind him in the 20s(for example if the Jazz drafted him) as a developmental project... but watching people put him in their top 10 or top 5 is weird to me.

That's fine. But that's also why you would have missed out on a Kawhi Leonard and ended up with some at-the-time-more-skilled but low ceiling mediocre guy. At some point you have to take a risk. Raw talents are basically just predictions from the gut based on small resumes. Those are the ones that are gonna be the most polarizing so I can't blame you.

I mean, I look at Bamba and think people are on goddamn drugs with their evaluation of him.

You cannot take outliers and project a draft prospect to develop like that. For every Kawhi taken in the teens that developed into a star there are 10 that amounted to very little if not nothing.

That goes for basically every type of prospect imaginable.

Speaking for myself, over the years I've formed some pretty defined opinions on what kinds of raw prospects work out and what types of player traits are actually useful at winning in this league and I just see something with Zhaire Smith. I feel like even if he's never a star he's actually got one of the highest floors in this draft.

[stitches]

That's fine. But that's also why you would have missed out on a Kawhi Leonard and ended up with some at-the-time-more-skilled but low ceiling mediocre guy. At some point you have to take a risk. Raw talents are basically just predictions from the gut based on small resumes. Those are the ones that are gonna be the most polarizing so I can't blame you.

I mean, I look at Bamba and think people are on goddamn drugs with their evaluation of him.

You cannot take outliers and project a draft prospect to develop like that. For every Kawhi taken in the teens that developed into a star there are 10 that amounted to very little if not nothing.

That goes for basically every type of prospect imaginable.

Speaking for myself, over the years I've formed some pretty defined opinions on what kinds of raw prospects work out and what types of player traits are actually useful at winning in this league and I just see something with Zhaire Smith. I feel like even if he's never a star he's actually got one of the highest floors in this draft.

How high do you have him? Who are the players in the same tier you have with him?

[Rafael122]

Sounds like Smith might be an option for the Wiz at 15. One local beat writer says he might be the pick. Only way I see the Wizards swapping picks with the Lakers is if they take on a bad contract but LA isn't going to want to mess with their cap space.

Would they take him over a guy like Robert Williams? Seems like they've been pining for an athletic big for a while now.

I think if Williams is still there, they will take him. He's coming in for a private workout today.

[TheSuzerain]

Playing in the same conference as Bamba while being more than a year younger than Bamba, Zhaire is on par with Bamba in Win Shares and BPM.

Bamba more PER, but Zhaire put up 23 PER on 18% usage which is highly impressive.

It seems very easy for Zhaire to become a quality role player (just needs a solid spot-up 3). And then he layers upside on top of that with his elite physical ability and 2-way play.

[connseanery]

He's also quite polished as both an on ball and off ball player for such a young player. Might be the best all-around wing defender. Even the highest ranked wing Mikal Bridges struggles with the lack of later quickness on ball defending.

Watch on YouTube

[Curtis Lemansky]

Zhaire reminds anyone of a shorter Derozan from his USC days?

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[SBM]

I don't believe anything about him other than athletic ability

[Leslie Forman]

You cannot take outliers and project a draft prospect to develop like that. For every Kawhi taken in the teens that developed into a star there are 10 that amounted to very little if not nothing.

That goes for basically every type of prospect imaginable.

Speaking for myself, over the years I've formed some pretty defined opinions on what kinds of raw prospects work out and what types of player traits are actually useful at winning in this league and I just see something with Zhaire Smith. I feel like even if he's never a star he's actually got one of the highest floors in this draft.

How high do you have him? Who are the players in the same tier you have with him?

I don't really have enough info on these guys to be definitive about anything, especially the lower ranked guys. I know I like him more than the Bridgeses, Carter, Bamba, Porter.

[arh1109]

Zhaire Smith – Courtney Lee



An athletic two guard with solid shooting. Zhaire Smith has potential of being a solid 3&D player. Charles Barkley style player in college. Played power forward as a 6’4 player. Great at attacking the basket off the dribble and finding teammates within the offense. He’s a great athlete but not very skilled yet. Similar to Westbrook in that regard. Not close to a complete player yet and the team that drafts him needs to realize this.

[Catchall]

Watch on YouTube