Maryland’s Jalen Smith believes he can be Boston’s “defensive anchor”

While Maryland big Jalen Smith won’t say who he’s met with ahead of the draft, the KG-influenced power forward thinks the Celtics would thrive with his two-way play.

If you want to get the attention of Boston Celtics fans as a potential draft prospect, tell them you model your game on Kevin Garnett.

That’s exactly who Maryland big man Jalen Smith sees himself taking after as a wiry big man with mobility and shooting, and while those are truly monumental shoes to fill, it’s certainly not bad to aim high.

Standing 6-foot-10 and possessing a 7-foot-2 wingspan, Smith is one of the draft’s better rim protectors, having logged 2.4 blocks per game in his sophomore season with the Terps.

He’s got a solid jumper that he uses fairly often for a big, connecting on 36.8% of his 2.8 3-point attempts per game last season.

And though he doesn’t have much in the way of lateral quickness to seal off lanes with ease, he’s still fairly mobile for his size and able to close out on shooters.

Speaking to the media on Wednesday ahead of the 2020 NBA draft, Smith declined to share who he’d met with in the draft process.

But, the Baltimore native thinks he’d fit well with Boston when the Celtics Wire asked about a potential career playing for Danny Ainge and company.

“I feel like I’d be able to fit in well [on the Celtics]; being a versatile big, being able to affect a team on the defensive end as well as the offensive end,” he began.

“Being able to help not clog the paint up of the guards, being able to open up space for driving lanes, and being able to hit an open shot. Being that defensive anchor for the team and making sure that I’m always holding down on that end.”

Smith has work to do on his body and game to elevate it to the level a championship-caliber squad like Boston’s can play him regular minutes as part of its heavy rotation.

But with his high motor and basketball IQ, it seems the Maryland product has an excellent chance at achieving that goal, so long as he keeps up a Big Ticket work ethic.

And while he is projected anywhere from the middle of the first round to its end, the Celtics are as well-positioned as any team to draft him with picks No. 14, 26 and 30 under their control.

That is, if they see a little of the KG in Smith he strives to mirror in his own game.

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