Portland Trail Blazers: 3 2019 NBA Draft prospects to keep an eye on
By Erris Brown
3. Jalen Smith, PF, Maryland
At the power forward position, the Trail Blazers have started seasoned veteran Al-Farouq Aminu. He’s a solid contributor who offers stellar defense and is known as a hustle player that will go get loose balls, draw fouls and convert a crucial basket here and there. The thing about Aminu is that on a championship contender, he’d most likely be slotted in as a role player or primary option coming off of the bench.
Portland has been lacking a true star power forward since the departure of six-time NBA All-Star and former All-NBA team star, LaMarcus Aldridge. This isn’t to say Portland is potentially saved by the second coming of Aldridge, but at 6’10 and 215 pounds, Jalen Smith could be a viable option for the Blazers.
Starting at the power forward position for the University of Maryland, Smith has averaged 12.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks a night. He has solid athletic ability, allowing him to be a great lob finisher. His numbers don’t blow you away, but he has shown the ability to be a good offensive threat as well as someone who crashes the boards.
His thin frame is something noticeable at his size coming into the “land of the beasts” that is the NBA. However, bulking up is expected at the professional level. If Smith continues to develop and comes into a position to benefit from the play of Lillard, McCollum and a frontcourt mate like Nurkic, Smith would be a great pickup for an organization salivating at the thought of another star player at the 4-spot.