getrichordie wrote:I still don't understand Jalen Smith getting this much love. Can someone please sell me on him and what his role in the NBA is? Would rather have Tillman, Richards, or Oturu. No one has talked about him. Feels like people are just going to tankathon and then voting based on that
Full disclosure, I have not cast any votes for him yet, but I do feel like I am one of the more Pro-Jalen guys on here (he's fluctuated from ~20-40 on my BB).
I watch a sickening amount of Big Ten basketball as I am a diehard Badger fan, and I would rank the conference bigs as follows:
1. Xavier Tillman
2. Jalen Smith
3. Kaleb Wesson
4. Luka Garza
5. Daniel Oturu
What makes Jalen #2 for me is his modern NBA toolbox. He is a good rim-protector, can knock down shots from long range both off PnP and off of movement, good rebounder (specifically good offensive rebounder), explosive leaper and lob target. High character, plays hard, unselfish. I actually saw him live this past year, and he was clearly the best player on the floor (which isn't saying much playing against my Badgers). He can be a little stiff moving laterally, but I've also seen him hang when switched onto guards. He can't handle for **** or create for himself, that's not the type of player he is.
Probably would do best in a drop scheme with a skilled PnR handler on offense, but could certainly see Myles Turner/Dewayne Dedmon-ish outcomes for him. Worth a 1st for the right squad, IMO.
Oturu is a low-feel black hole, stay away. Poor man's Kabengele.