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Los Angeles Clippers 2018 NBA Draft profile: Zhaire Smith

By Jason Reed

LUBBOCK, TX - MARCH 3: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders goes to the basket for a lay up during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs on March 3, 2018 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images)
LUBBOCK, TX - MARCH 3: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders goes to the basket for a lay up during the first half of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs on March 3, 2018 at United Supermarket Arena in Lubbock, Texas. (Photo by John Weast/Getty Images) /
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One of the best shooting guard in the entire 2018 NBA Draft class, Zhaire Smith is going to be an intriguing prospect for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Los Angeles Clippers‘ gameplan in the 2018 NBA Draft if pretty unclear. Right now, the only easy prediction to make is that the team will select a center in the first round. With DeAndre Jordan‘s future as a Clipper lasting one more year at most, the Clippers need to add a center in the draft.

However, the Clippers have two back-to-back first-round picks, owning both the 12th and 13th overall selections. Thus, while taking a center may still be a priority, the team has to decide what to do with the second of the two selections.

This offseason, Milos Teodosic and Austin Rivers both have player options and Avery Bradley is set to be a free agent. With the possibility of losing three guards this summer, selecting a guard may be the Los Angeles Clippers’ second biggest need in the draft.

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Thus, Zhaire Smith becomes the glaring selection for the Los Angeles Clippers to make considering he may be the best shooting guard available by the time the Clippers’ pick rolls around.

Tankathon ranks Smith as the third-best shooting guard in the draft on their big board. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has a similar evaluation. In Wasserman’s big board, Smith is the 18th-best prospect and the third-best true shooting guard (counting Luka Doncic as a point guard).

Smith’s biggest selling point is his athleticism. Smith is one of the most athletic prospects in the entire draft and uses that athleticism to score at the rim, where he is most efficient.

Using his speed, Smith can get to the basket and can be a great foul generator in the NBA. Because of his athleticism, Smith can also score the basketball well in transition as well as scoring off of the dribble and create plays for his teammate.

And while he was a decent scorer all over the court, Smith sometimes lacked confidence at shooting the ball. Smith was a 55.6 percent shooter in college yet only attempted 7.5 shots per game. Thus, the 11.3 points per game that Smith averaged could have been much larger.

However, despite lacking that confidence, Smith can be an asset wherever the Clippers need him. He is a sneaky good defender and can rebound fairly well for a guard.  If the Clippers need him to do that instead of score he can excel.

However, he has proven that he can score the basketball with the right confidence. And while that confidence can grow over time, it is a question mark to consider this high in the draft. You want to find a leader, a difference maker with a lottery pick. Smith may lack that extra “it” factor.

Thus, a selection like Zhaire Smith is one that is based on potential. If the Los Angeles Clippers can build on the potential that Smith has established for himself than the team may be selecting someone truly special.

Next: Clippers draft profile: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

However, if the Los Angeles Clippers want a safe selection, Smith may not be the guy to take.

All statistics courtesy of Sports-Reference. 

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