Philadelphia 76ers 2019-20 season in review: Zhaire Smith

We now take a look back at the 2019-20 season tailored by Philadelphia 76ers guard Zhaire Smith.

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When the Philadelphia 76ers made a draft-night trade in 2018 sending Mikal Bridges to the Phoenix Suns for a young athlete in Zhaire Smith, it was met with a lot of confusion. Bridges was more NBA ready and he was a good fit for the team. Why make that move?

Two years in, the trade still looks very confusing as Smith has played a grand total of 13 games through two seasons. In the 2019-20 season, he played only seven games due to the fact that rookie Matisse Thybulle passed him in the rotation and he was ticketed to the G League. Then, he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee just before the restart and he did not play in Orlando.

2019-20 season averages

1.1 points

0.3 rebounds

0.3 assists

27.3% overall percentage

As mentioned, the presence and the rise of Thybulle forced Smith into time with the Delaware Blue Coats where he played well. He averaged 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists as he showed off a lot of athleticism and the potential to be a hard-nosed defender in the NBA.

In his seven games with the Sixers, his best night came on January 28 against the Golden State Warriors where he had three points, a steal, and a rebound. It is clear that he is still recovering from the allergic reaction he suffered through in his rookie season as he had to rebuild his entire game again.

Smith is still only 21-years old and he has NBA level athleticism. If he can continue to get his strength back and continue to develop his skills, he can eventually be in an NBA rotation. Will that be with the Sixers? That remains to be seen, but he can be a player in this league if he continues to work hard. [lawrence-related id=37576,37573,37567]