re: Are we pretty certain the #1 pick this year (NBA) won't be the best player?

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Like that comparison because they’re both really 3s who had to play 4 in college which kind of limited us seeing them in playmaking situations. Smith is somewhere in between Durant and Tatum with the combination of size and polish. Probably could’ve scored 23-25 per game at auburn if he’d have taken more than 12 shots per game.


Durant - 18.5 attempts, 25.8ppg
Smith- 12.6 attempts, 16.9ppg
At 18.5 attempts Smith would’ve averaged 24.8ppg

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How you can read what everyone says about Smith, then post these stats, and then somehow still argue that Durant is a good comparison for Smith is kind of mind blowing. Why do you think he doesn't get nearly as many attempts as KD? It's because he's not great a creating his own shot. He's 6'10" but shot under 45% from inside the 3 point line. He's simply not very good at driving to and finishing at the rim yet. Nobody's saying he's completely incapable of doing it, but it's not at all a strength of his game, particularly compared to other prospects.

But look, I've still got him as my top prospect in the draft, and as a Rockets fan I'm really hoping he somehow slips to us. We just don't need to make him out to be something he's not. The 6'10" Klay Thompson comp was spot on, IMO. You're not going to throw him the ball at the top of the key and ask him to get you a bucket super often. But if you pair him with a good passer he's going to make you pay anytime you give him a inch. He'll be able to give you an easy 20+ a night just fitting into the offense, and combine that with elite defense and you've got an incredibly valuable player.

I think it's fair to say though, that both Chet and Banchero have higher ceilings. If Chet can add a bunch of muscle and stay healthy and rounds out all the skills he already has, he'll be a better player than Jabari can be. If Banchero commits to being a great defender and becomes a knock down shooter, he'll be a better player than Jabari can be. But I wouldn't rate either Chet or Banchero as super likely to fulfill their potential. So to answer Slo's original question, yeah I guess you're admitting that he might not be the best player in the draft, but I don't think you're admitting that he's definitely not the best player in the class.