Philadelphia 76ers: Zhaire Smith has breakout potential in second season

The Philadelphia 76ers’ top sophomore might break onto the scene next season.

Zhaire Smith‘s rookie season was a haze — not only for Philadelphia 76ers fans, but probably for him as well. He broke his foot before the season, then suffered a life-threatening allergic reaction that left him hospitalized and down 20 pounds.

Despite those immeasurable obstacles, Smith showed up and played the last six games of the season. His minutes were limited, but he got the opportunity and made a real case for playing time — a case he expanded on in Summer League.

In Smith’s second Vegas go-around, he was consistently the best player on the floor. That’s a regular occurrence for sophomores, but Smith is a unique case. He didn’t have the opportunity to train or work out for much of last season. He was physically unable to improve his game until essentially this summer.

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Smith set the Summer League ablaze on both ends. He appeared as advertised on defense, showcasing insane lateral quickness on the perimeter. He’s highly adept at fighting through screens and moving his feet, using a 6-foot-10 wingspan to bottle up ball handlers. He has the flashes of a special on-ball defender.

He also does damage off-ball, pouncing on lazy passes and creating transition offense. That’s an area where Smith already excelled at Texas Tech — creating turnovers, getting out on the fast break and allowing his athleticism to take over.

Where Smith shined in an unexpected light was the halfcourt offense. He was the hub for Philadelphia’s primary actions. He ran dribble handoffs with success, unveiling a much-improved handle. He executed a couple successful crossovers and step-back 3s, which were nowhere to be found in his arsenal at Texas Tech.

Smith confidently stepped into 3s, attacked closeouts and finished inside. For someone who hasn’t had extensive time to work on his game, the degree to which Smith has improved in those key areas is highly impressive.

Summer League shouldn’t be taken at face value. Smith still needs to prove his mechanics function against NBA defenses in NBA-paced games. His handle is in the same boat. But Smith gradually adding a reliable jumper and a functional handle will open the door for groundbreaking improvement.

The reason Philadelphia pulled the trigger on a Mikal Bridges-Smith swap was upside. Smith is a top-percentile athlete and a high-I.Q. player. He just lacked the basic tools — a handle and a jumper — to take advantage of those tools at the highest level.

Now Smith is in the process of adding those. If he can hit 3s, it doesn’t just boost Smith’s fit next to Ben Simmons. It also affords him massive potential attacking closeouts, where his first step is top-flight. If that comes with a useful handle, his ability to shake defenders, attack the rim and occasionally locate open teammates will uplift the Sixers’ second unit.

There’s a chance expectations are too high for Smith entering the 2019-20 season. He still deserves time to develop and grow, as the circumstances laid out above suggest. But if his Summer League improvements translate to NBA play, Smith has a very real chance to steal playing time on the wing.

He will have competition — James Ennis and Raul Neto chief among the second unit’s perimeter pieces — but Smith has the defensive potential, I.Q. and hustle to take minutes from both. It’s just a matter of how polished his skill set is when the season begins.