Tag: Nick Smith Jr.

Former Arkansas standouts Anthony Black, Nick Smith Jr. swap jerseys after NBA meeting

Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. swapped jerseys with each other on Tuesday after their second meeting in the NBA.

Former Arkansas standouts Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. swapped jerseys with each other on Tuesday after their second meeting in the NBA this season.

Black and the Orlando Magic emerged victorious over Smith and the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center. Black was one of six Magic players who finished in double figures, producing 10 points and five rebounds in the 101-89 win. Smith didn’t play.

The Magic improved to 2-0 against the Hornets this season with the win after taking the first meeting on Nov. 26 in Orlando. The division foes will play two more times: March 19 and April 5.

Of course, the two rookies were teammates last season at Arkansas and helped the Razorbacks reach the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. They declared for the NBA draft after strong freshman campaigns and were both selected in the first round.

Black, the sixth pick, is averaging five points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists on 40% shooting from 3-point range in 56 appearances with the Magic. He ranks seventh in starts (31) and is second in defensive rating (108.4) among rookies with at least 30 appearances.

Smith was the 27th pick by the Hornets and is averaging 6.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists on 45.1% shooting from 3-point range. He leads the rookie class in 3-point percentage and is among 13 first-year players to make at least 50 3s (51).

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Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Scoot Henderson is proving himself as a top pick

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The calendar has flipped to 2024, and the rookie class is finding its groove on the court; several first-year players are performing at a high level this season.

The top two picks, Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller, along with the second pick from 2022, Chet Holmgren, have had strong starts to their careers. Scoot Henderson, the third selection last year, also looks to be settling in after recovering from an ankle injury.

Further down the draft board, several other players have had great moments with their respective teams. These players have produced on teams in the playoff picture and on teams likely headed toward the lottery.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Black and Smith Jr. have career highs in final week of 2023

Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. are balling out in their rookie seasons in the NBA.

Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr. were both highly touted coming into Arkansas as freshmen.

They were just as highly touted going into the NBA Draft and now as rookies on the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets, respectively.

Heading into the final days of 2023, both players decided to take things to another level for their franchises.

Black had a career high 23 points the other night in the Magic’s eight-point victory over the Washington Wizards.

Meanwhile, in Charlotte on Saturday, Smith Jr. was lights out as his 19 points helped the Hornets weather a furious comeback that ultimately fell short against the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets.

17 of his 19 came in the fourth quarter, which is the most for any rookie in the league to this point this season.

Both players will undoubtedly play key roles for their teams as they try and make the Eastern Conference playoffs.

10 NBA rookies make predictions for their first game before the season begins

There are so many great answers from this NBA rookie class.

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After completing their first offseason, a new class of NBA rookies are ready to step on the court to make their professional debuts.

While nothing can compare with the special moment of hearing their name called in the NBA Draft, it is assuredly a surreal feeling to have your lifelong dreams realized on the hardwood.

We spoke to 10 rookies from the 2023 draft class about all of the emotions they anticipate feeling once they officially begin their professional careers as NBA athletes.

Here is what each prospect said about what they expect when they play on the parquet courts in front of thousands of fans.

These interviews have been condensed and edited for clarity.

NBA 2K24: Ratings revealed for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday.

The official player ratings and other features for NBA 2K24 have been unveiled as the popular video game hit stores on Friday across all platforms around the world.

The latest installment of NBA 2K features three distinct editions, each honoring Kobe Bryant. The game, for the first time, also allows for crossplay, meaning users on different gaming consoles can still play with their friends online.

In addition to many of the new features and updates unveiled in the game, fans are equally as excited to see the initial player ratings. Of course, with a new group of players set to enter the league, many are curious to see how the rookie class would be graded.

The franchise, led by marketing director Ronnie 2K, previously revealed the ratings for several first-rounders this year. With the game officially available for purchase around the world, the grades for each rookie have been unveiled.

Here are the ratings for the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

WATCH: Nick Smith Jr. explodes for 33 points in NBA Summer League

If this version of former Arkansas guard Nick Smith Jr. is here to stay, the rest of the NBA should be put on notice.

Former Razorback [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] put on an absolute clinic in NBA Summer League action on Tuesday night.

Smith went off for a game-high 33 points (13-20 FG, 4-5 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block and 6 turnovers in Charlotte’s 97-93 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. The No. 27 overall pick finished with a +8 plus/minus rating after playing nearly 29 minutes.

Tuesday night was Smith’s third Las Vegas Summer League game and he entered averaging just 7.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and a block. He struggled getting acclimated in the first two contests while not meshing well with Hornet teammate – and No. 2 overall pick – Brandon Miller.

That wasn’t the case Tuesday, though, as Miller had 26 to go along with Smith’s 33 and the pair looked much more comfortable playing alongside each other.

While it’s extremely exciting to watch Smith return to his pre-injury ways, there’s probably a large segment of Arkansas fans who are disappointed that this type of performance never happened in a Razorback uniform.

It’s clear that the Nick Smith Jr. we saw at the end of last season was not the same player that garnered so much national attention as a high school prospect. However, that’s just how it goes sometimes with injuries and timing – albeit happens at Arkansas more often than other places.

The important thing is that Smith appears to be returning to his elite form that earned him the highest ranking in 2022 recruiting class. This version of Nick Smith Jr. is one that can still make Arkansas fans very proud while also making 29 NBA general managers look silly.

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Several Razorbacks make NBA Summer League debuts

Ricky Council IV and Nick Smith Jr. got their first NBA Summer League action on Monday night.

The NBA Summer League is now in full effect, and Ricky Council IV and Nick Smith Jr. both got their first action on Monday night.

Council IV, who signed a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after the draft concluded, had 11 points and six rebounds, but his team lost 94-92 to the Memphis Grizzlies.

He also had this highlight dunk, which Razorback fans got very accustomed to seeing last season.

Smith Jr. had 12 points on 5 of 14 shooting for the Charlotte Hornets after he was one of their first round selections two weeks ago.

He was second on the team in scoring behind Alabama’s Brandon Miller, who had 18.

His three assists were tied for a team-high, but he also had four turnovers in 29 minutes as the Hornets lost 98-77 to the Spurs.

Jaylin Williams was also playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who defeated the Jazz 95-85.

Williams was chairman of the boards, pulling down 13 while contributing 8 points and three assists in 28 minutes.

2023 NBA draft recap: Every SEC player selected in this year’s draft

Every former SEC basketball player selected in the 2023 NBA draft!

The 2023 NBA draft took place on Thursday night from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and a total of ten former SEC players were celebrated as draft picks, six of which went in the first round.

Alabama’s Brandon Miller was not only the first SEC player picked in the draft, but he was also the first collegiate player selected as the No. 2 overall pick by the Charlotte Hornets just behind the French unicorn, Victor Wembanyama who went No. 1 overall. Miller’s Alabama teammate Noah Clowney joined him as a first-round selection when he was taken by the Brooklyn Nets at No. 21 overall.

Arkansas joined the Crimson Tide in producing a pair of first-round picks with Anthony Black going No. 6 overall to the Orlando Magic and Nick Smith Jr. going No. 27 overall and will be joining Miller in Charlotte.

Let’s take a quick look at each former SEC player that was taken in the 2023 NBA draft.

Nick Smith Jr. selected No. 27 overall in the 2023 NBA Draft

Nick Smith Jr. was selected No. 27 overall by the Charlotte Hornets in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The second Arkansas Razorback has officially been taken in the 2023 NBA Draft. [autotag]Nick Smith Jr.[/autotag] was selected No. 27 by the Charlotte Hornets. Smith joins Anthony Black as the second Razorback taken in the first round of this year’s draft.

Smith arrived in Fayetteville as the No. 1 prospect in the 2022 recruiting cycle. The North Little Rock native was joined Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh as McDonald’s All-Americans in Arkansas’s historic 2022 recruiting class.

The one season that Smith spent in Fayetteville didn’t come without some adversity. After looking like one of the best players in the country during the team’s summer exhibition, a knee injured sidelined him for the first six games of the season. He returned for four games before missing more time due to a knee injury.

All-in-all, Smith appeared in 17 games for Arkansas where he averaged 12.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals in 25.8 minutes per game.

Smith’s injury-riddled freshman season left a lot to be desired from many Arkansas fans and may have played a big part in him sliding out of the lottery in this year’s NBA Draft. Despite that, Smith is still a first round selection and lands in a very advantageous situation with the Hornets.

With Black and Smith both being selected in the first round, it marks the first time since 1992 that multiple Arkansas Razorbacks have been selected in any NBA Draft.

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Meet Hornets rookie Nick Smith Jr., who thinks he can be one of the NBA’s top passers someday

For The Win caught up with NBA draft prospect Nick Smith Jr.

Editor’s note: This story was originally published prior to the NBA Draft and has been updated.

Although Nick Smith Jr.’s productivity on the basketball court was limited, the 19-year-old Arkansas star who was once the top high school player in the country is ready for the NBA.

Since his days as a one-and-done at Arkansas ended, he’s ramped up the intensity.

“The pre-draft process has been one of the best offseasons I’ve had in a long time,” Smith recently told For The Win. “I’m just working on my game each and every day and getting my body prepared for an 82-game season.”

Smith was a McDonald’s All-American who participated in the Jordan Brand Classic and the Nike Hoop Summit in 2022. After playing one season of college basketball at Arkansas, he is a projected lottery pick in Thursday’s 2023 NBA Draft.

Here are four things to know about Smith before the draft.

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