2023 NBA Draft Live Tracker: Grading every pick made
2023 NBA Draft grade: No. 27 pick Nick Smith Jr., Charlotte Hornets
player. 170. Scouting Report. G. Arkansas. 27. Pick Analysis. Nick Smith Jr.
Grade: A+
Highway robbery. Nick Smith Jr. in the No. 8 prospect on the FanSided board and his slide is mostly inexplicable. He struggled with injuries and inconsistency as a freshman at Arkansas, but the talent still popped. Charlotte immediately becomes a big draft-night winner with this pick.
Smith is a clean fit next to LaMelo Ball in the backcourt as a potential heir to the Terry Rozier role. He needs to get more consistent from 3 but his touch inside the arc is absurd and it should translate to long-range success eventually.
With an advanced understanding of how to move without the ball and attack rotating defenders off the catch, Smith will be well-positioned for success playing off of Ball and Miller in the backcourt. He’s an underrated defender with a rangy 6-foot-8 wingspan too.
From our NBA Draft Big Board:
"While Nick Smith Jr. lacks the eye-popping athleticism of his top-five counterparts, he more than makes up for it with skill and craft. The 6-foot-5 guard from Arkansas can absolutely obliterate defenses off the dribble, intermingling changes of speed and direction with advanced handles and feather-soft touch from everywhere on the court. His ability to shoot on the move, combined with his ability to keep defenders engaged off the ball, makes Smith the perfect modern comboguard. If he can tap further into his playmaking acumen, there’s undeniable All-Star potential."