2018 NBA Mock Draft: A full first round following National Championship Game
Age: 18 (6/24/1999)
Height & Weight: 6’5″ & 180 pounds
Slash Line: .556/.450/.717
Season Averages: 28.4 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.8 APG, 1.1 BPG, 1.1 SPG, 0.5 3PM
Zhaire Smith is a project player with a superstar ceiling, which makes him absolutely perfect for the Philadelphia 76ers. The Sixers aren’t in a position to feature a top-10 draft pick on offense, let alone in the starting lineup, which makes a long-term process quite ideal.
Smith may be viewed as a reach by some, but he’s one of the top 10 prospects on my big board—and has the ceiling of a lockdown defender and gifted all-around offensive player.
Smith has a Gerald Green level of athleticism in the way he effortlessly runs the floor and plays above the rim. Defensively, he has the type of instincts that few possess at any age, which is the foundation for his Andre Roberson comparison on that end of the floor.
Those instincts translate to offense, as well, with Smith displaying the natural understanding of the game to be able to pass teammates open.
This is a project pick, but the 76ers don’t exactly have the flexibility to work with anything else. Markelle Fultz, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Dario Saric, and Joel Embiid are locked in as long-term starters, with Covington being the oldest of the group.
Thus, the 76ers can comfortably draft for raw potential here and acquire a player who has the tools to develop into a star on both ends of the floor.