NBA Draft 2020 Prospect Watch: Jalen Smith

Strengths

Smith comes armed with a very modern skill-set as he takes the next step in his career.

Certainly the most tantalizing aspect of Smith’s skill package on offense is the smooth shooting stroke he’s tinkered with, which was at the center of his improved sophomore campaign. It’s one thing to see Smith’s improved 3-point percentage jump from 26.8 percent as a freshman to 36.8 percent as a sophomore, but it’s another to see the dynamic ways he can hit from outside, whether it’s on catch-and-shoot opportunities, setting up pick-and-pop attempts or even on the move.

Simply put, there just aren’t many players who come with Smith’s size and can stretch the floor to the degree that he does, even if it’s a relatively modest volume (Smith finished going 51-of-158 from three, making him a career 32.3 percent shooter in college).

But Smith’s shooting touch equally applies inside the arc and right at the basket where he converted 72.2 percent of his scoring opportunities at the rim, per Hoop-Math.

Defensively, Smith, while very raw athletically, offers plenty of rim protection, thanks to his 7’1″ wingspan and towering standing reach. The Virginia native amassed 1.8 blocks per game over his two seasons at College Park.

And his nose for the ball and overall ability to man the boards resulted in Smith averaging 11.9 rebounds per-40 minutes over his time at Maryland and he can certainly extend offensive possessions and convert second chance opportunities.