Utah Jazz: 5 options for pick No. 21 in 2018 NBA Draft

5. Zhaire Smith

Google highlights of Zhaire Smith, and your eyes will definitely light up. His athleticism alone should warrant him a selection on draft night, and it will certainly draw you in, but it’s his intangibles that really should have scouts excited about Mr. Smith.

Zhaire Smith played just one season at Texas Tech before declaring for the draft, but it didn’t take long to see his upside. Take this play against the Florida Gators in the NCAA Tournament:

One of Smith’s teammates had briefly exposed an opening in Florida’s defense, so he quickly whipped the ball down in the paint in the hopes of getting an assist and a quick two points. Unfortunately for Smith’s teammate, two Florida defenders quickly collapse on him, forcing his teammate to dribble back out, where he passes it to Smith.

What Smith notices during the play (and I didn’t initially) was that another one of his teammates (located on the left side of the arc in the play) was getting ready to make his cut to the basket. Smith patiently waits for the opening, and then passes it for an easy bucket. That patience will serve him well in the NBA.

Another intangible Smith possesses is his aggressiveness. His hyper-athleticism certainly helps with his confidence driving into the lane, but if he sees an opening, he accelerates. That didn’t translate to huge numbers during his lone season with the Red Raiders, but it can certainly create a ton of offense for his future NBA teammates.