NBA Draft 2018: 5 targets for the Phoenix Suns

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 10: Deandre Ayton #13 of the Arizona Wildcats celebrates on the court after the team defeated the USC Trojans 75-61 to win the championship game of the Pac-12 basketball tournament at T-Mobile Arena on March 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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DALLAS, TX – MARCH 17: Zhaire Smith #2 of the Texas Tech Red Raiders reacts in the second half against the Florida Gators during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament at the American Airlines Center on March 17, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

4. Zhaire Smith, Wing, Texas Tech

Smith is the other guy the Suns should be looking at with the 16th pick if they hope to continue building a versatile defense to complement Booker.

While Jackson could one day become a secondary ball-handler and was able to create shots for himself at the rim toward the end of his rookie season, he wasted too many possessions and struggled to read plays as they opened for him. The rookie posted a 26 percent usage rate this year and turned the ball over nearly three times per 36 minutes. If anything, he showed the ball should be in his hands less to start next season.

If the Suns indeed draft Ayton, they will need to surround he and Booker with low-usage players who can defend and play team offense. Smith epitomizes that type of value, working as a screener, passer and finisher — a positionless Freshman dynamo with Texas Tech. It’s tough to evaluate his ceiling considering his irregular role in college and his overall rawness on that end.

As it stands, Smith must overcome an ugly jumper and inefficient playmaking before he becomes a real shot creator at the NBA level. Now, his athleticism and overall feel for the game are positive indicators toward his ability to improve on offense, but it’s a game of projections for whichever team drafts him Thursday.

The Suns need more players like that. Forced to over-extend helpless youngsters such as Ulis and Bender this year, injecting some smarts into their roster would silently pay dividends for this team. And the ability to make up for Booker’s relative lack of versatility by putting him next to athletic marvels like Ayton, Jackson and Smith would be remarkable.

It may be more of a lottery ticket than the Suns are willing to mess with, but the eventual reward could be gargantuan.

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