Raptors draft: 3 prospects that could replace Gary Trent Jr.
By Avishai Sol
2. Nick Smith Jr.
A long-armed guard with good size and three-point range, Smith has dealt with some injuries during the first half of his freshman season. When healthy, he is the most well-rounded offensive guard in college hoops.
While not a next-level passer, Smith keeps his head up and can read the defense well. He will find lob targets and kick out to shooters, but his greatest gifts are as a scorer. Smith is one of the best shooters in the nation, pulling up from NBA range off the dribble and off of screens.
He has an elite floater game and can hit them from ten feet. Long arms and a herky-jerky dribble style serves him well while attacking on the drive. He gets really low and rips great momentum on his fakes and crossovers. This can sometimes lead to Smith being off-balance, but there’s potential for a top-shelf handle if he can polish it up a bit.
Nick Smith Jr. fits the Toronto Raptors.
Smith may not be a crazy athlete in terms of end-to-end speed, but he can stop and start really well. He has “quick twitch” athleticism and an NBA frame at 6-5. His slight build at this stage means that he tends to avoid contact, but that’s mostly nitpicking.
With the Raptors, Smith would be a great addition because the team needs that brand of “bucket-getter” so much. He would fill a lot of what the team needs offensively.
Player comp: Rich man’s Bones Hyland