Kyle-Intangible IQ Hoops 🏀⛹🏿

The 2027 NBA Draft class may be one of the most fun classes to evaluate of all time because there’s such a wide draft range for most prospects entering the season. One of the players who is a staple top-3 talent for the majority of evaluators is Jordan Smith Jr. The Arkansas freshman is an extremely unique talent who is set to be the Hogs' lead guard this campaign. In his second game for the Razorbacks, he posted a 19-point, 2-rebound, 3-assist, and 5-stock stat line in a disappointing loss to Virginia. This game highlighted a ton of the intrigue and concerns with Smith Jr. as a prospect. Starting with the good. Defensively, Smith Jr. is a problem. He’s physical, strong, long, and never gives up on a play. He’s great on the ball, crowding ball handlers, moving his feet well to close off driving lanes, keeping his chest in front of ball handlers, using extremely active hands, and anticipating opponents' next moves that can help him strip players on drives or from the point of attack. Off the ball, his length and quick burst give him the ability to shoot into passing lanes as if he'd been shot out of a cannon. His length also helps him cover a ton of ground despite being listed at 6-foot-2. Against the Cavaliers, we saw how his ability to cover a ton of space can even give him weak-side rim protection upside, as on one possession he came flying from the corner to the paint for a big-time rejection. It might be a slight overreaction, but Smith Jr. really looks like a defensive prodigy and someone who has All-Defensive appearances at the NBA level in his future. Outside of his defense is where the concerns with Smith Jr. come from. That’s not a super common trend for projected top-pick guards, but like we said earlier, he’s a very unique talent. Starting with the pros, Smith Jr. is great at attacking closeouts and turning corners, with blistering downhill speed and the physicality to finish through contact. Smith Jr. has also done a good job getting to the foul line, averaging 6.5 free-throw attempts per game through his first two games. His at-the-rim finishing, ability to play through and draw contact, and athleticism to finish above the rim give him a solid starting point on offense, but he still has a lot of areas to grow in offensively. The biggest concerns are his shot creation and shot-making. Smith Jr. prior to college had a really steady mid-range shot-making game, and if he can start leaning on that a bit more as a scorer, scouts' interest may rise, especially if he isn’t fully confident in his three-point shooting yet. His playmaking is kind of shaky too, as while Smith Jr. excels at making reads in the open floor, he isn’t great at reading defenses in the half-court and can be turnover-prone, with 5 assists to 6 turnovers to start the season. What also contributes to him being turnover-prone is that at times he plays way faster than his handle and passing ability can keep up with Smith Jr. is such a unique evaluation because his offensive game makes it unclear which guard position he’ll play at the pro level. But you also can’t overlook the type of defensive anchor he could potentially be at the guard spot because his offense isn’t fully developed. This season is going to be a fun one for all NBA Draft people because prospects like Smith Jr. are really going to test what they value and what they don’t.