Smith is one of the most unique prospects in the draft. He’s an otherworldly athlete, throwing down alley-oops and making weak-side blocks with the best of them. His defensive upside and high basketball I.Q. are tantalizing.
The only issue is that Smith’s auxiliary skills are underdeveloped, to say the least. He can make smart passes, but doesn’t have functional handles or a clean three-point stroke. He hit a high percentage of his deep balls in college, but that came with a slow release and little movement.
In short, Smith is a project who will take some time to develop. There’s no team better to doctor his shot and max out that upside than the Spurs, who could be walking into an absolute heist at 18 if things break Smith’s way.