[Lotto StudParticipant]

 A year or so ago, many were raving over Smith Jr. to be the next best thing coming into the NCAA. Now, it appears as if the wave has taking a new turn toward Ball. I would like to know how many of you on the message boards still favor Smith Jr. over the likes of Ball and the rest of the bunch at the point guard spot?

[JordanC20Participant]

 As talented as Smith is I worry about his knees he could have a tough career like Rose has.

[Lotto StudParticipant]

What signs of wear & tear has he shown you at NC State?

[Bankroll PJParticipant]

 What signs of wear & tear did Jabari Parker show before this injury? Major knee injuries are always likely to reoccur

[negguaryParticipant]

 why mentioning his knees is a moot point

[OhCanada-Participant]

 Don’t talk about the kids knees. He tore his acl and has recovered. There’s gotta be something more positive to talk about.

[kazamParticipant]

 I still favor Smith over Ball. 

In an NBA where point guard has been ever evolving in terms of importance and dominance, I feel as though you need a guard who can "go get you a bucket". Lonzo doesn’t excel at beating guys off the dribble or really creating a ton of space. Yes he can make a step back three. I don’t know if he can do that stepping back from the NBA line.  

 

 Smith’s team sucks, having seen them live a few times, running a brutal offense that does nothing to help showcase his skills, yet he has still found a way to have two triple doubles- something the versatile Ball has yet to accomplish. Lonzo is shooting the ball marginally better from 3- yet Smith is making a better % from the FT line. Neither guy is particularly impressive as a defender, despite both averaging solid steal numbers, Ball can’t keep guys in front 1 on 1 and Smith gives little effort. 

 

Ultimately it will come down to what a team values- positional size and playmaking skills/ potential shot making (Ball) or scoring with the potential to be a solid playmaker (Smith). 

 

 

 

 

[llperez]

Did you say that ball can hit the step back three in college but you doubt he can do that from NBA distance? 80-90% of his three point attempts are from NBA range.

[kazamParticipant]

 I did- my question was whether he can make shots from the NBA range having to step back from that distance- rather than stepping back from the college line. The assertion that 80-90% of his 3’s are from NBA distance seems a bit of an exaggeration. 

[llperez]

Do quick google search of “Lonzo ball three”. I mean bunch of vids pop up of off the dribble threes from close to 30 feet out. I would post but I’m on phone. Questioning his range is one of the worst things someone could criticize about him.

[SmooveKRYPTParticipant]

Smith reminds me of Steve Francis. When the explosion goes, so will his effectiveness.

[negguaryParticipant]

I SEEEEEE I SEEEEE what you’are saying!! Dang steve

[D7H7NParticipant]

 Francis also had a lot of offcourt issues that let to his decline.

Smith reminds me more of Lillard anyways. Good floor general who chucks a lot of shots, not very good on defense. Also Lillard has hops, people forget he was selected to the dunk contest. 

 

[IknoBall12Participant]

if I’m picking a guy I want Dennis. Agreed that ball is really good and has a better shot than I thought but against NBA comp idk if he’s getting that funky thing to fall. Dennis gets buckets and dies things that elite NBA guards need to do. But to talk about his knees I feel like u can literally say that about anyone  

[theballerwayParticipant]

about Ball is his control of the game a feel for his teamates. Similar to how guys were harping on how MKG would be great for a teams culture I see Ball the same way. The reassurance thast gives a coach cant be understated as sometimes it goes beyond the players physical skills. I think if they switched teams this would be the clearest difference and why i would take Ball. He also adds you options of a more versitile lineup (heightwise-can be paired with a smaller or similar sized guard-win/win) 

Smith screams hero ball to me which aint bad just not what I would choose 

 

[binetParticipant]

 Ball’s game transition to the next level should raise more questions than it does right now.

Everybody can see that he is unique, but that does not make him a surefire bet.

Right now he relies a lot on his athleticism to run his fast pace UCLA offense. He clearly is athletic enough to be able to use it as a strength in NCAA, but I personally have my doubts at the NBA level.

Same goes with his jumpshot. It’s falling at a rate that makes everybody optimistic but his FT% is not stellar and the way is going to be guarded at the NBA level makes everybody doubt this form is sustainable. The main issue I have with his shot is his ability to improve there with such a mechanic. It’s falling with the college line . We assume it will translate because he usually shoots it from way downtown = NBA range or more. But if it does not and he has to practice, work, improve, will any coach besides himself be able to help him with that unorthodox form? My guess is no. And we all know the shot should make time  to translate at the next level, Ingram is not shooting well this year. If Ball’s shot does not translate immediately you got yourself an arrogant version of Ricky Rubio (Rubio shot very well the 3 prior to the NBA by the way).

He is not a go-to-guy. In today’s NBA, particularily at the guard spots, you have to be that go-to-guy that is going to get you buckets in order to be a star. The "points guard" are the new generation. Will he redefine that or be the  PG version of  Jahlil Okafor ?

Ball does not fit everywhere. People seem to think: high bball IQ, decent size: put him anywhere. It’s just not going to work. Ball needs to be able to run : he will need a running Center, a running PF, shooting from every guy, someone to hide him defensively, possibly offensively as well. He is a build around me with a build around me type that is not easy to have in these day and age, given most of these archetypes are what teams desperatley want to find. Basically, a guy that needs 4 teammate arguably more valuable than him.

With Smith you know you are getting a "points guard", a modern era 1 like most of the top half of the league at the position are right now. His current production at this stage of his career is promising as he is  having numbers that compares favorably to even the bests of the bests prospects in that archetypes (Wall, Rose, Westbrook). Fultz showing even more promises and his size are making us underestimate him. 

At the end of the day it’s about floor/ceiling. With Smith, I think the floor is very high and unless he injures again worst case scenario should be a Kemba Walker 2.0. That’s a crazy high floor. Ball’s floor is Alexey Shved and bust in my opinion (I see that very likely happening and would not draft him top 5 in this draft because of that) but his upside is probably higher, and very obvious to anybody who watch UCLA play, because his uniqueness makes him a possible game changer, future MVP "Jason Kidd with a shoot"/"Steve Nash with athleticism/defense" guy. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Lotto StudParticipant]

 I’m very high on Dennis Smith Jr. over the likes of Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz. Smith Jr.’s game is so exciting in which it appears as if he’s the sure fire player. Ball has the hype but he really doesn’t impress me with his broken shot that falls from the heavens when he throws up a prayer. As for Fultz, I haven’t seen him in action at all.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Dennis Smith is a work in progress but I think his potential is as high as any in this draft. He is behind Fultz and Ball in terms of development though and that’s easy to see. His team had nobody that can shoot aside from Rowan and that Omer Yurtseven kid has not delivered. Really was a poor choice of schools for him as he could’ve gone anywhere in the country realistically. The college half court is too small for him especially with his teams shooting issues. With a more open court and better shooting around him he should thrive at the next level.

 His jumpshot should come around with repetition though. Look at Kemba Walkers jumpshot now compared to when he entered the league. Smith is alot like Lowry. He gets frustrated easily and loses confidence then becomes very predictable trying to gain his confidence back by forcing his play. I prefer him over anyone in this draft. Not a popular opinion I know but he has things you can’t teach and what he is bad at he is improving fast.

[kazamParticipant]

 Terry Henderson has shot the ball very well this season (39.3%) at actually a better % than Maverick (36.6%). Henderson is a D-League type guy to me. Can get hot and make shots- makes tough ones also. 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Personally I’d take Ball over Smith if I had to pick out of the two. I see Ball as being one of the best pass first PGs to be drafted in the last decade.

Smith’s game does rely on his athletic ability and he could have the potential to play some heroball and his shooting range isn’t as good as it could be. But I don’t see him as being just a player who relies on his explosiveness as he is also a good creative PG potentially and can develop that facate of his game as he matures.

 

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