NBA Draft 2018: 5 targets for the Washington Wizards

2. Zhaire Smith, Wing, Texas Tech

The Wizards need to be moving in two directions at once this summer. They’re locked into Wall long-term, and the point guard’s new contract may finally provide the nudge Washington needs to build a team in his image. While Williams would give the team an athletic interior presence, Smith can be a part of small ball lineups that would make the Wizards more versatile.

Dating back to the early days of the Wall-Bradley Beal pairing, when Nene was the starting four, part of Washington’s inability to make it deep into the playoffs (the duo has never appeared in a conference finals) was that they could only play big in a league that is playing ever-smaller. In a six-game second-round series loss to Atlanta in 2015, Washington’s front line of Gortat and Nene stood no chance against the smart, athletic Paul Millsap and Al Horford.

With Otto Porter in place for the next three seasons and Kelly Oubre up for an extension as soon as this fall, Washington has two places in piece that will allow them to be more flexible moving forward.

Add Smith to the mix, and suddenly you’re playing with fire. That’s a good thing. Smith is the most explosive wing athlete in this draft, capable of finishing lobs in transition at 6-5, immovable on defense, and hyperactive on the offensive glass.

Searching for college players who finished, rebounded on offense and created steals as prolifically as Smith this season leaves you with a list that includes advanced statistical favorites like Cincinnati’s Gary Clark and the injured Anfernee McLemore from Auburn. Smith ranks second to Clark if you sort that list by Box Plus-Minus, which attempts to value a player based upon their impact produced through box score statistics per 100 possessions.

Any team picking Smith is betting on his growth as a ball-handler and shooter, but those skills tend to explode for players as athletic and intelligent as Smith. The Wizards could hit the jackpot.