Nick Smith Jr. Scouting Report: NBA Comparisons, Draft Rankings, Highlights, Stats
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Nick Smith’s freshman season at Arkansas did not go exactly as planned; however, after appearing in a number of games for the Razorbacks, he still solidified himself as a first-round pick in the eyes of NBA teams. Smith has an impressive offensive skill set and great touch off the dribble. Still, there are a number of questions with Smith that could drop him outside of the lottery. Check out the complete breakdown below to see all of Smith’s strengths and weaknesses, as well as our most accurate NBA player comparison for him! Other scouting reports can quickly be found on the Lineups 2023 Big Board or Final Mock Draft as well.
Nick Smith Jr. Scouting Report
Nick Smith’s huge plus wingspan helps his projection as a combo guard tremendously, but much like a player like Kobe Bufkin, Smith will have to put on a significant amount of weight to be able to match the physicality of NBA guards. Check out other measurables below for Nick Smith Jr!
Age: 19
Height: 6’5”
Weight: 185 lbs
Wingspan: 6’9”
Position: Combo Guard
College/ Professional Team: Arkansas
Strengths: Nicks Smith’s greatest strengths all revolve around his offensive game; he can score in most areas of the floor, and the difficulty of some of the shots he hits is insanely impressive. Smith has fantastic touch around the rim and off of the dribble, which could give him an upside as an isolation player in the NBA. In addition, Smith has shown prowess as a catch-and-shoot shooter, which is a coveted skill for off-ball guards.
Weaknesses: Smith was quite inefficient for the Razorbacks, and he did not create nearly as much separation as one would hope for a player who relies so heavily on offensive output to be an impact player. It is also to be seen if Smith can be a consistent playmaker for others at the next level, which is oftentimes a necessity for players projecting as either a point guard or a combo guard. Further, Smith was exploited at times defensively, but his length could help him to mitigate this weakness.
Nick Smith Jr Stats
| PPG | RPG | APG | FG % | 3P% | FT% | TO | STL | BLK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12.5 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 37.6 | 33.8 | 74 | 1.6 | 0.8 | 0.1 |
Nick Smith Jr. NBA Comparison: Markelle Fultz Lite
Smith has the same herky-jerky movements as a player like Markelle Fultz, particularly in college. Much like Fultz, Smith uses unorthodox body gyrations to freeze defenders, giving him enough time to react and get off shots or just get past them. Smith is nowhere near the offensive player that Fultz was in his freshman season at Washington; however, he has shown glimpses of ability on that end of the floor that justify his preseason top-five pick hype.
Nick Smith Jr. Highlights
Nick Smith didn’t get to have the full freshman season at Arkansas as he and many others would have liked due to injuries; however, there are still plenty of highlights available below.
Nick Smith Jr. NBA Draft Ranking, Team Fit, Landing Spot
Draft Ranking: 26
Team Fit: Utah
Utah could be a solid fit for Nick Smith, as he likely won’t get a substantial amount of minutes at the beginning of his rookie season but could work himself into the rotation. The best and easiest way for him to do that is if he is drafted by a team that could use some depth at guard and won’t mind deploying him at point guard or shooting guard. Right now, we are very unsold on Utah’s guard rotation, and Smith could be the kind of flier the Jazz might want to take, especially if he resembles his pre-injury high school days.
Landing Spot: Memphis, Utah, Toronto, Orlando
As alluded to above, Smith’s best fits will come in organizations that are not afraid of putting rookies through trial by fire. Smith needs to get NBA experience quickly, so teams can see whether or not he can be the player many thought he would be coming out of high school. Smith projects as a scoring combo guard, likely off the bench in his first few seasons, and Memphis, Toronto, Utah, and Orlando could all use that.
