Tag: Jalen Smith

Report: Boston Celtics reached out to Suns’ to trade for Jalen Smith, with Dennis Schroder the likely offer

Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer shares that he believes Boston offered the German floor general for the young big man recently.

There have been rumbles of the Boston Celtics having some trade interest in Phoenix Suns big man Jalen Smith despite the potential limitations there might be on bringing back the Maryland product due to the Suns having declined his team option for next season earlier this year.

There have also been rumbles that the Celtics are looking to move off of veteran backup point guard Dennis Schroder given the team is unlikely to be able to re-sign him due to limits placed on their current contract in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.

So it probably should not surprise one to hear reporting from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer that he has heard that Boston reached out to Phoenix regarding Smith. He further related that “Dennis would be the clear outgoing piece since their salaries match and Boston is looking to offload him” in a recent appearance on the “Suns Solar Panel” podcast (via Bright Side of the Suns’ Brandon Duenas).

While Duenas isn’t crazy regarding Schroder’s fit, he does note Fischer pointing out that the German guard played one of his best seasons of his career backing up Chris Paul, so there might be something worth exploring there for the Suns.

On Boston’s end, it would provide a little cap relief with Smith earning $1.4 million less than Schroder’s $5.8 million this season as well as a little more competent help in the team’s somewhat thin frontcourt.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Boston Celtics active on trade market, interest in Jeff Green, Jalen Smith

What the Celtics might have in mind here remains unclear.

Trade season has arrived in earnest for the 2021-22 NBA season with less than a month left before the 2022 trade deadline arrives on Feb. 10, and with it come rumbles of what the Boston Celtics have been up to on that front.

Hosts of our sister site’s eponymous podcast, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto and Yossi Gozlan recently broke down the intel they have assembled on what is going down on the trade front around the league in a recent episode of the “HoopsHype” podcast, including an intriguing segment on the Celtics. Boston has reportedly been making calls around the league, with a pair of interesting names on the team’s radar.

The duo also discussed a pair of players reportedly in recent trade talks.

Interesting NBA teams you should add to your League Pass watch list

With the start of the 2020-21 NBA season upon us, there are several teams that look quite a bit different than when we last saw them.

Especially while watching the teams that were good last season, it can be an overwhelming experience to track the year-over-year roster changes for teams that restructured. Of course, most fans are going to pay close attention to the teams that are favored to win the championship.

But as you decide what games to watch if you subscribe to NBA League Pass, you should seriously consider tuning in to these teams that may not have been on your radar last season.

Suns’ Deandre Ayton taking Jalen Smith under his wing during camp

Ayton has spent much of training camp mentoring Suns first-round pick Jalen Smith in the early going.

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton knew that he would eventually like to mentor a younger teammate when the time was right. The former No. 1 overall pick found that player this season in Suns first-round pick Jalen Smith.

Phoenix selected Smith with the 10th overall pick after a strong sophomore campaign at Maryland. He earned All-American Third Team honors after averaging 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 31 games played last season.

Ayton has taken Smith under his wing in the early going during training camp. He has relished the opportunity to show Smith the ropes and said it has even made him work harder knowing that somebody is watching and learning from him.

For his part, Smith has impressed Ayton thus far.

“Jalen can shoot for a tall dude,” Ayton said Thursday on a Zoom call with reporters. “He has a great personality, a cool kid and very mature for his age. I’m always on him. That’s my rook so I make sure he is doing things right and he takes criticism pretty well. We know each other’s personality so everything is respectful and he enjoys competing. You can tell he enjoys hitting me, too. We play physical [in practice].”

Ayton admitted he hasn’t really taken on a mentorship role like this but said he is now ready to do so. Players often want to see how a rookie works and the way they learn and it appears as though Smith is exceeding expectations with the Suns.

Smith will have his first opportunity to play on Saturday as the Suns begin their preseason slate. He projects to see backup minutes this season in the frontcourt and his training with Ayton will be good preparation for what he will see throughout the year.

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Celtics reportedly interested in bigs Jalen Smith, Precious Achiuwa

The Boston Celtics have some big men in mind, according to the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy.

If the Boston Celtics decide they need a big man in tonight’s 2020 NBA draft, the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy has heard two prospects the Celtics are reportedly high on.

Those would be Maryland’s Jalen Smith, and Memphis’ Precious Achiuwa, two strong big men who have been tied to the Celtics ahead of the draft.

Smith made waves among Boston fans after revealing he models much of his game on Celtics icon Kevin Garnett, telling the Celtics Wire that he feels like he’d “fit in well [with Boston]; being a versatile big, being able to affect a team on the defensive end as well as the offensive end.”

Achiuwa, a mobile, strong forward/center who is raw but has a high motor evidently impressed the Celtics enough that they made a faux “job application” for the team along with several other high-profile prospects such as Smith and top prospect R.J. Hampton.

Murphy notes “Smith, a tough rebounder, and … Achiuwa, an active big w … are said to be high on the list” of Celtics big man targets.

In just hours, we’ll find exactly how high.

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2020 NBA Draft Big Board 5.0: Final update ranking Top 100 prospects

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

After numerous delays and postponements, front offices and draftniks have had more time to analyze the 2020 NBA draft than any previous year.

Originally scheduled for June, the ongoing pandemic pushed the big night back by five months. While this may cause some teams to overthink their decisions, it gave analysts plenty of time to study all of the top prospects eligible in this class.

This year, players had to participate in a mostly virtual pre-draft process. On the bright side, this meant that teams had the opportunity to interview more candidates than ever before.

However, the number of in-person visits were incredibly limited due to the restrictive parameters set by the league. Similarly, the NBA draft combine was conducted without the typical scrimmages where players can separate themselves from the others with impressive on-court performances.

Overall, the players that stood out in this pre-draft process had a different path to recognition than any other year. College basketball players did not have the opportunity to showcase themselves during March Madness. The nation’s top seniors did not get to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament.

As such, executives will rely mostly on the existing game footage as well as the intel they gathered during their conversations with the prospects. We also depended on similar strategies, getting access to one-on-one interviews with more than three dozen prospects and exchanging our thoughts with various scouts across the league.

This helped us put together our final big board, looking at the Top 100 players ranked on their potential to make a difference for teams in the NBA.

Relevant statistics were pulled from Synergy Sports Tech, Bart-Torvik, KenPom, Open Look Analytics and RealGM. Note that the age listed for each player references how old they will be on the night of the draft.

Pelicans draft Maryland’s Jalen Smith in DraftExpress ‘Grade A’ mock draft

In DraftExpress’ “Grade A” draft, the Pelicans land a big man with a unique skillset to complement Zion Williamson in Maryland’s Jalen Smith.

The New Orleans Pelicans will likely focus on shooting in the 2020 NBA Draft as the league as a whole moves toward shooting and spacing. As a side that lacked consistent shooting throughout the roster last season, JJ Redick aside, New Orleans has a very obvious need to fill.

In DraftExpress’ “Grade A” mock draft released on Thursday, the Pelicans address that need with a prospect uniquely qualified to fit multiple needs for New Orleans in Jalen Smith from Maryland.

Mike Schmitz provided the following analysis on the pick:

“If there’s one big in this draft who perfectly complements Zion Williamson, it’s Smith. He spaces the floor as a deadeye shooter while protecting the rim at a high level, two areas in which Williamson is still improving. Smith would allow Williamson to focus on working defenses as a mismatch driver, giving Zion more space to operate. Smith also has the versatility to fit alongside last year’s top-10 pick, Jaxson Hayes.”

ESPN’s system compares Smith physically to Serge Ibaka, which is a player that might be a good comparison for his playstyle, too. When analyzing his game, Schmitz had the following to say about Smith.

“We’ve seen 6-foot-10 bigs who space the floor before, but it’s rare to find players Smith’s size who can shoot on the move like this. Smith flashes his ability to catch on the hop with great rhythm and balance, which should allow coaches to shift him all over the floor. “

While Zion Williamson is uber talented, his weaknesses as a defender mean a specific type of player is needed to complement him in the front court and Smith appears to be exactly that type of player. New Orleans is reportedly interested in moving up in the draft and considering his skillset, Smith might be the player they’re targeting.

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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Maryland’s Jalen Smith says he spoke with Sixers, likes fit next to stars

The Philadelphia 76ers have had a draft interview with Maryland big man Jalen Smith.

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With the NBA draft now less than a week away, it is time for everybody to come up with their final preparations for the day. The Philadelphia 76ers have five picks in this draft including one in the first round so they have a lot of work to do to be ready.

The team’s needs are pretty obvious. They need a guy who can stretch the floor, but they also need somebody who is going to come in, play hard, and fit the roster next to Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

One option that fits pretty well is Maryland’s Jalen Smith. Standing at 6-foot-10, Smith is a bounce athlete who averaged 15.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks as a sophomore for the Terrapins. He can also stretch out and shoot it from deep as he shot 36.8% in the 2019-20 season.

With the Sixers picking at 21, they could go with Smith and have him fill a stretch big man option at power forward. He can also learn a lot from Embiid as he did with former teammate Bruno Fernando during his time in college.

“I talked to them earlier when the draft process first started,” said Smith on Thursday via a Zoom call. “I feel that I’ll be able to complement them well and learning from another big. Like at Maryland, I was able to learn from Bruno a lot. Just being able to be behind a physical big and watch him play will be helpful.”

The Sixers are going to be an unpredictable team heading into this draft process as they get set to decide how they want to improve the team moving forward. New president Daryl Morey is an unpredictable person so there is a high chance that Philadelphia might move the 21st pick for a player who can win right now. [lawrence-related id=39048,39044,39028]

Jalen Smith spoke with Nets’ whole front office: ‘They’re great guys’

Jalen Smith learned a lof from watching Kevin Garnett growing up, but there’s a current player on the Memphis Grizzlies who he studies.

Jalen Smith wasn’t willing to reveal any teams he’d spoken with or worked out for during Thursday’s Zoom call with the media, but the Maryland big man had previously revealed he has spoken with the Nets organization of the 2020 NBA draft.

In doing so, he expressed it’d be “a dream come true to” play with Kevin Durant. Not only does he like the prospect of playing with the star forward, Smith’s interaction with the Nets’ “whole front office” has gone well.

“They’re great guys,” he said on Zoom Thursday. “They just telling me how much film they’ve been watching on me, telling me things that they see I need to improve on and pretty much said they that the main ideal coming into the league is getting ready and just get ready to work. No matter what obstacles are ahead of me gotta be able to hit it hard and make sure that you don’t back down.”

As for what Smith would bring to Brooklyn, he’s expressed Kevin Garnett is someone he always looked up to for his energy and work ethic.

But when it comes to his style of play, Smith studies someone from today’s game.

“I watch a lot of Jaren Jackson Jr.,” he said. “Him being a big with the footwork that he has, being able to guard guards on the defensive end and just being that offensive and defensive player for the [Memphis] Grizzlies.”