2018 NBA Mock Draft: The summer is decision time

As I mentioned in Jarrett Culver’s section, draft writers have created an imaginary yet informative baseline at two percent for both block and steal percentages that we can use to grade prospects’ defensive potential. Smith, Culver’s teammate at Texas Tech, surpasses that benchmark in both categories as well.

This year, despite finally giving time to several interesting modern youngsters, the Spurs have only one player outside of Kawhi Leonard (who has notoriously only played nine games) who has steal and block percentages each over two. That would be Kyle Anderson, who many assumed would be a distributor and shooter at the NBA who struggled to contribute on defense. The Spurs have made Anderson into a switchable, sturdy defender with Leonard out all year. They need more players like him.

In Smith, they would find the final piece in their futuristic, impossibly versatile rotation. Assuming they find a way to make Leonard happy and keep him in town, drafting Smith would allow for lineups including Anderson, Leonard, Smith, Dejounte Murray and LaMarcus Aldridge. It would be as if their romanticism over smart veterans had disappeared completely.